Strange Happening's
by SAL-Chan
Summary: It's been 1 year since the Sohma family lost a loved one in a accident, and feelings are still unsettled. Life is shaken and stirred, turned on it's head, and a good qustion is asked: Will they live through it? Chapter 14 up!
1. One Year After

The house was as it always was. Its walls the same color and the house sat as it always had. The kitchen was spotless, along with the dining room. All the doors were set and still in their proper places, no tares in the paper. There was one door that stood alone in the front of the house, extra parts of paper were cut into shapes of certain familiar animals.  
  
The backyard was neat and tidy as it could possibly be on a warm autumn day. Different colored leaves were scattered about, pulled into piles on one side of the yard. A new looking fountain sat on one side and trickled into a small pond that held many little gold fish. Next to the fountain was a small path that led into the woods, past a large tree with enormous roots that stretched and climbed around the area. Over the roots and down the path you would enter a large clearing that held scars from a short fight once upon a time. This clearing seemed to be sandy, and a small puddle sat in the middle of it all from the rain the night before.  
  
Into the backyard again, a wooden ladder sat leaning against the side of the house. The wood itself was still stained and looked new, but the dust and the small spider webs that strung themselves in the corners was the only telltale sign that it hadn't been used in a long time.  
  
Next to the ladder a path was cleared into a deeper forest. Once reaching the end of the path you would be greeted by the sight of a large garden full of tomato plants and strawberry bushes. The memorable stalks of the leek plant sat in a small corner of the garden, next to the strawberries. All in all the entire garden was as neat as it had always been kept.  
  
One last thing could be seen from the neat backyard, and it was lying peacefully on the porch. Her long brown hair was tied into a braid that lay beside her head. He face was a cream color and her cheeks were flushed pink, eyes closed and mouth open slightly. She wore a plain yellow shirt that was covered by a light blue zip up hooded sweatshirt, and a pair of tan shorts almost reached her knees. Her long legs stretched out on the hard word floor turned in different directions, and her arms were wrapped around an orange cat that slept in equal bliss.  
  
The scene was sweet as the wind blew and scattered red and yellow leaves across the yard. A girl and her beloved cat, asleep on the porch after a long days work in the yard. And with that simple knowledge, he smiled. That would have been a sight for him to see...

Strange Happening's

SAL-Chan's first FruBa fic

*Part One: One Year After

_Italic_ - Thought's/~flashbacks~/emphasized words {whispers/etc.} 

**Bold** - Emphasized words {usually shouted} 

~*~ - Time laps/POV change  


~"**_Sometimes there is no time outs, no second chances. Sometimes its now or never..._**"~

~*~  
  
A smile graced his face and lit his usually dark eyes as he stepped into the neat yard, looking the sleeping girl over. He softly stepped toward her from out of the path next to the ladder. A basket of ripe strawberries grasped in his right hand, he picked one out and ate it. As the leaves swayed in the late afternoon breeze, sunlight danced in-between them, highlighting parts of his gray-blue hair and catching in parts of his violet eyes.  
  
As he quietly made his way to the porch and sat near the pole near her head, the orange cat stirred in her arms. It opened its eyes half way then blinked once it saw him, and looked up to meet his black eyes to violet ones. There was a moment then, when their eyes locked, then the cat wiggled out of the sleeping girls arms and landed with a soled 'pa-tat' on the wood. It stretched for a moment then turned and walked over to him and stuck its head into the basked of strawberries, sniffing.  
  
The cats back arched up as one pale hand stroked the orange fur. The cat then raised its eyes to the face of the owner of the hand, and in a moment jumped onto his lap, purring lowly and snuggling into his pair of deep blue pants.  
  
"Yuki?"  
  
Yuki Sohma turned to the speaker who was lying on her back. Her forest green eyes were open slightly, one of her hands coming up to rub the sleep out of them. He smiled down at her, still petting the cat that had rolled onto its back and was purring in pure happiness.  
  
"Did you have a nice nap?" He asked politely as she yawned and nodded best she could, smiling once she spotted the orange tabby curled up in his lap.  
  
"It was very nice..." Blinking, she turned onto her stomach. "What time is it now?" She asked as she reached to pet the cat's head. If it was possible, he purred louder. He smiled, knowing her response to his answer.  
  
"It's almost six." He said softly as his gaze then wandered across the backyard. The cat stopped purring abruptly and looked up from his lap, eyes glued at a door near the end of the hall.  
  
"Almost six!" She shouted, scrambling to pull the blue sweatshirt up and stand at the same time, quickly running into the kitchen shortly after. He sighed as the clanging of pots preceded to come fourth form the kitchen, a smile on his face as he scanned the neat yard again. The cat then mewed as Yuki stopped petting it, and it then watched as the smiled drained from his face as quickly as it had been placed on.  
  
A lonely wind blew through the yard now that she had gone inside. It seemed darker now, and another breeze that blew through the yard has a sudden winter nip to it. The sun seemed to sink behind the trees now and its rays didn't seem so heartwarming. And as suddenly as he was happy a moment ago, he found that after their conversation that something had been missing. And the sad part about that was that he knew exactly what was missing, and even though he hated to admit it, he was lonely now...  
  
"Mew!"

A small smiled graced his lips again but disappeared just as quickly as he looked down to find a pair of now unhappy black eyes starting up at him. A sad as it may sound, he forced a smile onto his lips for the sake of a cat and started stroking his velvet fur again.  
  
Quiet settled in the backyard once more as he turned his gaze to the small fountain, noticing how much the yard had changed with that small addition. How much everything had changed...  
  
"I'm surprised he likes you..." The voice had made him jump from the pure fact that it had come out of nowhere. His brow wrinkled in annoyance and he shot a glare toward the direction of the voice, knowing full well what was coming next.  
  
"...Or maybe he's waiting for the right moment to come out and attack you..." The speaker came into view in the corner of Yuki's eye. His humor would never change, no matter how many years passed or what happened.  
  
He was still the tallest in the house, but they were catching up to him. At the moment a pair of glasses sat at the end of his nose bridge and covered most of the dark brown eyes. His black hair was still short but hung longer in the back now, and a smile still graced his aging face. He was dressed in his normal attire, his favorite off white writers robe. But then again, you expect all that form Shigure Sohma.  
  
Yuki grinned slighted at the comment as the orange feline curled into a ball in his lap. Shigure had a knack to make him grin recently. Why, Yuki didn't know. Things became quiet again in the yard as both Sohma's watch the evening roll thought the trees and bring a light darkness into that sky.  
  
"...it's always so quiet now." Shigure whispered as if talking to the wind. Yuki raised an eyebrow and took a look at the older writer, finding that Shigure's face held no humor as it had with his earlier comment.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Yuki questioned, eyes starting to turn a deeper violet. "It's getting dark and everything's going to sleep. Of course it's quiet." He finished in more of a hushed voice as another 'mew' came from the tabby cat on his lap.  
  
"I know that. But..." He paused while a pained expression crossed his face. It was never hard for Shigure to talk about something or someone, and this tipped Yuki off on where this conversation was going. Yuki's face hardened and his gaze turned sharp.  
  
"...It's just so _quiet_. The house, the night, everything around us seems so quiet. It feels so different withou-"  
  
For a moment a look of confusion crossed his face as Shigure spoke. Then the begging of his next sentence hit him and Yuki's head snapped toward Shigure.

"Shut up Shigure! Don't even start up about **that**!" Yuki raised his voice up a notch as he stood up, knocking the tabby cat off his lap. Anger reflected in his dark orbs toward his cousin who leaned against a pillar. He was almost as tall as the writer now, turning 18 soon.  
  
"Well why not? It's about time someone did." Shigure turned a sharp eye on the younger Sohma, his voice raising along with Yuki's. It was strange to see Shigure - of all people- serious, and there was also a pained expression along with a stern one. "We can't leave **that** alone too much longer."  
  
"Don't you get it Shigure?! We're fine now so leave **it** alone. Don't bring hi-"  
  
"I understand it perfectly well Yuki, thank you for asking." Shigure's eyes held a glint in them that they normally never did. "Maybe even more then you do. That's why I need to bring him up, because no one else will." Shigure turned to face his gray-blue haired companion, face set and eyes serious. Yuki stood still, hands clenched and knuckles white, face set and eyes aflame. Quiet settled in between them for what seemed like a long stretch of time.  
  
"Y...Yuki? Shigure?" The quiet, timid voice broke the glaring contest that was held between the two. They both turned to look at to dining room door.  
  
Tohru Honda stood to the side, pink apron on and a white pot in her hand. She had a confused look on her face, eyebrows raised. Her eyes were wide as if she knew exactly what they were talking about.  
  
...  
  
"Is dinner ready now? My you work quickly Tohru. It smells _ de~lici~ous_!" Shigure babbled with a smile on his face as he headed past her and into the dining room and took a seat at the table, talking to himself about how good the food looks and how nice it smelled. He pretended as if that conversation never happened.  
  
Tohru stood still staring at Yuki whose hair covered his eyes, his hands still clasped.  
  
"You...you can eat later if you like. I'll warm your food later if you do..." She said quietly, as if her voice would break something. There was another tense moment then Yuki sighed, shoulder relaxing and hands unclenching. He stood up straight, took a deep breath and exhaled, then opened his eyes. They danced and he turned to face Tohru, a true smile sitting on his face.  
  
"No Tohru. I'll eat now with you." He smiled as she smiled, eyes lighting up and a blush crossing her face.  
  
"Well then come in before it gets cold. Cold... salmon doesn't taste very good." Her smile never wavered, but something caught in her eye when she tried to finish the sentence. She turned quickly to Shigure who was still talking to himself. She put her pot down in front of her and uncovering the steaming white rice that was kept warm, then took a seat next to the right of the chatting Shigure. 

Yuki turned, as if on instinct, toward the stairs at the end of the hall. He opened his mouth, as if to call something. And before a voice came forth from his vocal cords, something clicked in his mind and he shut his mouth quickly, letting all the air he gathered to fall into a deep sigh. His eyes stayed on the stairs a moment longer before his gaze went back into the dinning room to find that Shigure and Tohru -who were in a polite conversation- had not noticed his action.  
  
He sighed and took a few long strides and came into the lit room quickly. He took a seat on the other side of the jabbering Shigure. As soon as he did Shigure stopped talking and an unease silence set into the room as the three of them stared at the last vacant set for a moment. It was quickly filled by the orange tabby cat who looked at the salmon and licked his lips, then looked back up at Tohru and the two Sohma's.  
  
"Well..." Shigure broke the silence that had settled in yet again as he picked up his chopsticks, smiling slightly. "Lets eat, shall we?"  
  
"Itadekimasu!" The chorus was said, and so they ate.  
  
~*~  
  
_As much as I hate to admit it, Shigure was right.  
  
It was way too quiet...  
  
It had been way too quiet for quite a long time now._  
  
I sighed, sitting at my open window. The quarter moon hung low and the stars shown brightly, not a cloud in the sky. Sometimes I'm grateful that I live in a house so far away from the city. _I love the nights out here, and I can see why he-_  
  
I shook my head, stopping that thought. I sighed again and swung my legs over the side of the windowsill, giving them more room to stretch as I stared up at the clear night sky.  
  
It's hard to believe I'm going to turn 18 soon, and I still live at Shigure's house. I do make enough to live on my own. And I'm sure that I could live by myself if I wanted.  
  
_Then...why do I?_  
  
I shook that question off, not even daring to think about that. I had been over it enough times and sadly I came up with the same answers time and time again. And it was something I really wanted to leave alone.  
  
I sighed yet again and leaned against the window frame. The night air was cooler against my skin, though not that much was showing with my flannel pants and night shirt on. It was refreshing, and somewhat soothing. Relaxing even.

My eyes traveled to my right, to find a very familiar windowsill. It was closed and locked as it had been for a while now. I shook my head again...  
  
_ It's Shigure's fault that I'm thinking about it! Damn him._  
  
_ ...But then again, even though I hate to think it, he was right. It's different. Really different..._  
  
"Mew!"  
  
I turned slowly and faced my fine furry friend. He stared up at me with small black eyes smiling slightly. With a quick jump and a flash of his collar he sat next to me, glowing orange in the moonlight.  
  
"So Kubo, what are you up to?" I asked the small cat. It puffed its chest out, showing it's new black collar proudly. Inscribed in a small black diamond that dangled from its collar, in a sliver script was the name Kabocha. Pumpkin.  
  
"Thought that she would do that..." I told him as he shook his head, a bell attached to the collar jingling. My hand found itself petting him again, gazing up at the starry sky. After a minuet or so I stopped and we sat together, staring up into the world outside ours.  
  
Then...something flashed in the corner of my right eye. I blinked, ignoring it. That was until it flashed again. I turned my head so quickly that my neck cracked and my eyes caught an image that shook my memory's. I blinked, confused for an instant. But when I opened my eyes again, after I blinked, it was gone.  
  
I felt myself go pale. Either my mind was playing tricks on me or I was loosing it. But I was sure that I had just seen him...  
  
And I remembered that night. I had opened my window and had seen him sitting on the window ledge, just like I was at the moment. And I could have sworn that I just saw him again...  
  
**_ Kyo..._**  
  
"Mew!"  
  
I was snapped from my thought as Kabocha yelled over and over again, hair standing on end. And he stared in the same direction of the other window, the same direction I was just staring.  
  
I grabbed him and swung my legs back into the room and pulled the shutters closed with more haste then I intended. I had to stop thinking about him, I had to totally get him out of my mind altogether. But it was getting harder and harder to do.  
  
His anniversary was coming up, and I would have to face his death once and for all.  
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Ranting: Well...what do ya think? I know I kinda left it off just a little, but you gotta give me a break. It's a hard idea to control, and I had to follow my SAL guidelines. 1) If you must write something, you MUST write the full outline first. That was my first problem, seeing that I wrote the part of the story that would be...~Checks notes~ 4 chapters ahead. Lovely...But I did it. It's 10:09 now, and I started at 8 this morning with nothing but that one part in the 4th chapter...And I'm going that far too, even if no one reads this. But if you do, please, PLEASE review? It would mean a lot. And who would not want to yell at me for killing off a main character even before the story started? ~Grins~ Now that's gotta give you something to write, right? Well Ja for now, and until next time!  
  
P.S.: And thanks to my beta readers, Iz-Chan and Grizzy for reading and helping me with this. They liked it, will you? ...O, and I don't own any characters, except for my Kubo-kitty. Any one else, they're not mine...  
  
~"SAL" a.k.a. SAL-Chan out! 


	2. Missing You

The autumn day was crisp and clean, the sky a bright blue. A cold wind blew just enough for a light jacket, which was on any female in a skirt walking to school. The leaves were falling faster now, dancing on their decent to earth and finding death as they hit the ground. The tree's seemed lonely now that they were undressed, the crisp sky showing through them.

The morning's were colder now, a slight frost covering the fallen leaves and small clouds of air created from your breath. Mid day was warmer as the sun came out and jackets weren't needed, but were a comfort. Night was chilled now, and it seemed even colder in a certain house. And into certain peoples hearts...

Quite a few young people were walking along the sidewalk in the brisk morning, most in similar school outfits. They were dressed in white shirts trimmed in black, and a pair of black pants for boys while the girls had blue skirts. Everything seemed reasonably normal and regular, like nothing was happing and nothing was going to happen. Everything seemed like a bright start to a normal day. 

A normal looking girl with normal brown hair and normal green eyes walked along this path, in a simple normal school uniform. She walked with a slight pep in her step, hands grasping a normal black school bag and walking in normal girls shoes. She smiled normally -teeth sparkling white- to her companion and sole protector. 

And as you know, nothing about him was normal. He smiled kindly back, gray-blue hair messed slighted from the wind. His violet eyes shined along with his smile, and a look of happiness on his face was pure and noted. He -unlike all the others- didn't seem to fit into the regular school uniform anymore. It didn't make him look awkward, but to all who knew him it made him look different. '_It brings out more of his brother in him..._', someone had said with a grin. They were right...

That, again, would have been a sight for him to see...

Strange Happening's

By SAL-Chan 

*Part Two: Missing you... 

_**"A million words wont bring you back, I know because I've tried. Neither would a million tears..."**_~

~*~

Well it's just the beginning of the new school year.

Things are going smoothly and classes seem to be easier this year. Though there were many new faces again, I wasn't scared of anything or anyone new... or I don't think I was... 

I smiled and looked around my very familiar school. The halls were clean and full of students new and old. I was taller than most of them now, but I was a Senior and I guess that would be expected. It was hard to believe that this was my last year of schooling...and...

I bit my lip and smiled as another pair of Sophomores passed me, looking worried and scared. I waved sightly and smiled wider as they shuffled off in the other direction, looking a little more confident. At least I made their day a little better...

Today was a light autumn day, and a lovely Tuesday it was. The days still held a light warmth, and the nights cold. Though it was getting colder, I still loved being outside at night to watch the sunset along with Shigure. That had become a tradition for almost all of us.

"Hay! Tohru!!"

I spun, startled at the voice. My ankle twisted a bit to much and I wobbled, only to be caught by a pair of strong arms. Startled for a moment, I let out a yell and staggered backwards. Long blond hair caught my eye first and made me smile and stop immediately. Her blue eyes sparkled and a smug smile sat on her lips, thin eyebrows arched in question. She was taller then me now, and her skirts grew longer and longer to touch the floor. My smile widened. 

"Good morning Uo! You're here early..." I said cheerfully as she stepped toward me, crossing the path of more Sophomore and scaring them half to death. She grinned at them and moved aside -the smaller students running past- and settled on the wall beside me.

"Morning Tohru." Her rougher and deeper voice said back from above me. Uo was always the same old Uo, rough and friendly. She hadn't changed all that much over the years, and a good thing is that her grin had come back. It was lost last year for a long time...

"Where's the _Prince_?" The question was normal and it was something that was said every day. She had adjusted to seeing me standing outside the classroom now, and would ask the same thing.

"He told me that he had Student Council things to do. They already started getting ready for this years prom..." I sighed and watched as the masses of the school moved throughout the hallways.

"Hard to believe, right? This is our last year in the school..." She sighed. So many things have happened these past 2 years. " I can't wait to leave..."

"Who do you think you'll be taking to the prom?" I asked, quickly fearing that the question might be a little too personal. I blushed slightly and fidgeted, worried that I was being too personal. There was a few moments of silence until I looked up and was surprised at the look on Uo's face. 

A slight expression of pain was etched around her tan face, something that few had ever seen. Her eyes were hard but here eyebrows were raised, giving her a look of sadness too. It seamed that I had asked the wrong question. I opened my mouth to say 'never mind', but she spoke before I could.

"Well..." She started, voice heavy with an emotion not often seen in her. "...I think I'm going alone."

"You're going with **me**." The voice came from my immediate left and scared me once again. I spun around quickly -ankle twisting again- only to be caught by the same pair of strong arms, facing the speaker this time.

Raven colored hair flowed over her shoulder tied in a loose, long braid. Her bangs barley covered her dark violet eyes that shined like water. Her skin was light against the dark blue uniform, but the smile drawn on her face was one of small happiness. I let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Good morning Hana!" I said in my most cheerful voice. My slight fear from before disappeared when I realized that I had my two best friends on either side of me. I was protected again... 

"I thought that you weren't going?" Uo said from above me as I balanced myself on my two unsteady feet again. "You said so before highschool even started."

Hana blinked at her and leveled her eyes, her smile disappearing from her face. She clasped her hands in front of her and stared up above me, to Uo.

"I felt that you were going to find someone to go with. I was wrong." She said simply, shrugging slightly. She cast a glance out the window to the empty courtyard, fixating on something. I blinked and slowly followed her gaze. 

There was a moment when all three of us were looking out the window together, unaware of the hustle to get to home room behind us. The wind swept another cold gust of air across it, blowing the tricolor leaves across the empty lawn. Morning dew still sat on untouched grass, giving it the morning shine. The sun sat higher in the sky and cast a morning glow on everything, warming the earth from it's slumber.

Then something quite unexpected happened.

I heard Hana suck in her breath quickly and watched as she leaned toward the window, hands barley touching the glass. Here eyes were wide and awestruck as she gazed down toward the tree that was letting leaves fly from it.

"Hana?" Uo's voice sounded worried as she stepped around me and to Hana's side. Hana still didn't move, didn't even breathe. The sudden change had left me speechless for a moment. 

"Hana!" Uo reached a hand out and grasped Hana's shoulder, as did I. We both reached her at the same time and she spun around, looking surprised. Quite a few emotions were written across her face, some neither of us had seen on it before. She looked like we had walked in on her doing something and scared her half to death. It seemed we had surprised Hana.

"You ok?" Uo asked, hand still uneasily lingering in the air. Hana let her gasped breath go and blinked a few times, breathing sightly faster then before. The emotions passed quickly over her face and were replaced by her normal, passive one. He breath was calmed shortly after.

"Fine." She answered shortly, eyes moving back to the tree. "I just though I saw something..."

I blinked again. Hana never did anything like that before, looking like she's seen a ghost of something. She had looked so surprised, so shocked. I opened my mouth to ask but -

"TO~RU!!!"

Again I turned quickly -not almost falling this time knowing the voice- and was greated with a pair of familiar light honey eyes. His light blond hair bounced into view and a large smile was spread across his face. Nothing has seemed to change on him over the years, though there were some additions though. From the bottom of his right earlobe to the corner of his lip was a long scar that was visible from far away. It was scary to think that the only visible change in Sohma Momiji's face at the age of 16 was that scar.

I smiled immediately.

"Momiji!!" I called back to him, smiling as he bounced along the hallway to meet me. Now that his body has grown a little, he filled the boy's uniform better than the girls. He looked good in it too. "How are you?"

The rabbit stopped a step or two away from me, eye's smiling. He was almost as tall as me now, but still shorter in a way. 

"I'm fine To-ru! You looking very well yourself." Even his voice sounded the same as it had. Though there were times when it wavered and sounded older, but those were few and not so often. I smiled back.

"I am quite well." I answered, my smile growing wider as I tried to stop my past tense reminders. 'Keep steady' I told myself.

"You are looking good kid." Uo said behind me as his smile was diverted behind me to Uo and Hana. 

"Thank you Uo! And Hana..." His smile diminished slightly but was still present, his eyes growing tired and ceasing their sparkle. That happened often now, Momiji's eyes never sparkled for too long anymore. He then trained his eyes on me again, and his smile widened once more. Remembering that he had addressed my company, I remembered Momiji's constant companion. 

I lifted my eyes from him and looked further down the hall way to find the boy in question. His right hand was placed on the window pane and his black eyes gazed down at the courtyard. He was taller than me and most of the others that walked down the hallway. Snow white hair dusted the top of his head and stopped to hang long around his ears. The back of his head was covered in a mass of black hair that was pulled into a small ponytail, reaching his hip. The ear that was facing me was pierced all the way around now, but over all Sohma Hatsuharu's looks had changed more than the others.

Haru's face was one of concentration and he seemed focused on something far away. He looked like he seemed to be figuring something out, something that had been on his mind or hard to figure out. All this was starting to worry me...

"You see it too?" Hana's voice carried through the whole hallway, making all the students -including Haru- to look at her. He seemed puzzled for a second, but quickly nodded his head and turned to walk towards us. Both his ears were pierced, along with a single ring that looped its way through his left eyebrow. 

"See what?" Momiji asked around me to Hana, and I turned to her also. Hana kept her eyes locked to Haru who walked past the others in the hall like they weren't there. He kept his eyes trained on a certain point in the court yard, never wavering.

"Haru?" The rabbit questioned the cow next, but he seemed to be ignored by him too. I bit my lip and turned my head to were he was looking and found nothing. No sign of life was outside at all. Something inside me felt so wrong...

"Haru?" I said softly, smiling at him as his eyes finally turned to lock onto mine. They weren't half closed and held no sing of ignorance in them at all. He looked like he knew exactly where he was going, which is something you don't see in him often. "How are you?"

There was a quiet and tense moment while he turned his eyes to Hana, then on me again slowly, a smile formed on his face also. He relaxed slightly and crossed his arms, cocking his head with his black tail swinging.

"Tohru." His voice was heavier and deeper, mellow even then it had seemed for a while now. It seemed like Haru had never even had a black personality now, like he never lost his temper any more. And if he ever did, someone had touched his bike without him knowing. "I'm as well as I can be. Kisa told me to say hello to you for her." 

I nodded and smiled. "Tell her I say hello back."

It was uneasy now. The two Sohma never had direct contact with Uo and Hana, so I keep telling myself that the reason they don't talk is that they don't really know each other. But slowly I started to realize that it might have been the case, but not since last year. Not since-

I sighed outwardly as the bell rang overhead and the students ran every which way. 

"We gotta go To-ru. We'll see you around, ok?" Momiji smiled up at me, breaking the small silence. I smiled back as whole heartily as I could muster, disappointed that they did have to leave.

"Ok. Maybe you guy's could come over for dinner tonight..."

The statement seemed to be the wrong thing to say. Momiji's smile wavered slightly and Haru turned his head to look at the courtyard quicker then he should have. I blushed slightly and shuffled my feet, suddenly knowing full well that they weren't planning to come over to Shigure's any time soon. 

No one would...

"That's ok To-ru. Thank you anyway but we can't tonight. We have to get ready..." He said a little to forcefully not to be noticed, eyes dropping at the end of his sentence. I nodded knowing that was going to be the answer. It had been quite a few times before when I asked the same question, and I predicted it would be the same for a while now. Asking had slowly become a lost cause. We said our short goodbye's and I turned to walk to my class.

"Tohru." Haru's deep voice made me stop in my tracks and spin to face him, a smile immediately placed on my face. He's eyes had glazed over and were half lidded again, but a small smile was placed on his face

"Yes?" I asked.

"Tell Yuki I said hello, and I'll tell Kisa you said hello." He said softly and turned, walking away with a wave of his hand - showing off another one of his new hobbies. Haru had a tattoo now, one he had been working on for some time. No one really knew what it was of since he didn't show anyone who asked, but some of us had a idea. The only understandable thing on his hand now was two big letters - His initials, along with the numbers 13 and 10.

I nodded anyway, watching the duo's retreating back disappear into the crowd of other students. I sighed to myself, and turned into my class as the bell for first period sounded. 

~*~

I'm not sure if I had just realized it, or that it had just truly surfaced but everything has been different. The biggest change was that nothing really had changed and... everyone tried to keep it the same as it had always been. No one wanted anything to change, and no one accepted it. We all wanted to go back...

_To before the 13th of October, last year. Before 11: 46 pm... _

I remember that day quite well, almost like it was yesterday. Then some days I don't remember that anything was different and that nothing so important was missing. Even after the long walk to school, in the middle of class I still cast a look behind me and search for my two princes. I would only find one knight though, alone and smiling slightly to himself as he did his work. 

I would always find my eyes wet as I turned around then. I was so hard to keep going after everything, but I needed to do it. For the Sohma's, for myself, and for _him_.

I always remember small thing that _he_ said to me at times I need to hear them. Like 'Complain a little' or a simple murmur of 'You suck' before a slight lesson on top of a roof. I can remember little things like a small smile or a simple gesture, or I'll hear something _he_ would say and turn to see _him_...only to be fooled by my imaginations once more. Things have changed all around me, in my life and in others but it seamed like I was the only one to admit it. 

I jumped as the bell sounded and turned to look at the clock. School was over already... 

I blinked as the class got up around me and started to file out, surprised at myself for being lost in my thoughts all day. I sighed and started to gather my books, going for the one on my desk first. I stopped quickly though and looked at my jumbled notes. Among them was a droplet or two of moist paper that smudged some words. I lifted my hand up to my face and found the path the droplet had followed down my cheek, surprised at myself.

"Tohru?"

I quickly shut the notebook and started to gather my things, whipping the tear trails off my cheeks and the water out of my eyes. Uo came up next to me and watched me hustle to gather my things as quickly as I could. 

"Yes?" I asked, thankful that my voice hadn't wavered. I stopped as a few pieces of paper were put on my desk in her and Hana's handwriting. I looked up and met her eyes, and she smiled slightly.

"The notes from today." She said softly as she leaned over and shuffled a hand through my hair. "Hana highlighted the important math parts, and I took your science notes."

"Uo?" Her name came from my mouth without me thinking, my whole train of though had stopped. She smiled and tilted her head, getting up.

"I'm not coming tomorrow, neither is Hana." She said softly, her smile fading somewhat. She glanced out the window over my head.

"I'm not sure why you even came today, but as I've known you as not one to show when your hurt. The whole class realized it, and I'm sure they were all surprised that you were here too." Her voice was melancholy, as were her eyes. I felt myself shake as she moved closer to me, my eyes watering. I wanted to bury my head in her shirt and cry just to let it go, but I held strong. She bent down and kissed the top of my head and stepped back with a smile. She cast a glance back behind me, but I wasn't really paying attention anymore. 

"Walk her home today Prince." I heard her murmur, then she started for the door.

"_Uo_..." My voice was weaker, but she heard it and turned to me anyway. I looked up at her, a true smile emerging on my face. I felt a warm sensation envelop my inside. I was cared for.

"Thank you for the note's." I said quietly as she smiled too. 

"No prob. Any time Tohru. Now go home and get some sleep. You going to have a** long** day tomorrow." Her smile was truly sincere and her eyes danced in the fading sunlight. And with that Uo turned around and walked out of the class room.

I sighed and tucked the notes into my notebook and stood.

"Ready?" His voice calmed me in more ways then I could have asked for at that moment. It gave me strength that I needed deeply, a strength that I had been slowly loosing for a year now. I felt tired now, but not so weak anymore. I turned to him and smiled.

"Ready any time you are." I said, making sure that I held some type of happiness in my voice. The was a pause as we met eyes, and all my strength came back. He looked at me with a smile that was truly his own and nodded.

It was then that I realized that...Yuki had become most of my strength. 

~*~

_I'm selfish._

I sighed and looked up through the trees to the sky in the fading light. The sky was turning an orange dashed with yellow, pink, and dots of blue. Clouds dotted the sky and shielded the sun from my gaze, pushed along by the slight wind that blew the warmth from around me. 

I wanted everything to be as it was._ I wanted him to come back_.

I wanted the Sohma's back the way they were. I want them to be** happy** and **carefree**. _I wished to be happy..._

The fallen leaves crushed under my light footfalls, and were echoed by my knight's. The air around us seemed softer than normal, easier to breath in somehow. I smiled contented, feeling comfortable and not so alone as I had before. My company was a very welcome retreat from my mind, giving me something else to think about.

Yuki's steps were slower than mine, but he was much taller than me now. If he wanted he could rest his chin on the top of my head, having to bend down some to do so. He had grown up, face becoming thinner and his hair just dusted his shoulders now. His voice had gotten deeper also, but his eyes still had that same shine to them as they always had.

I smiled. _He was starting to look like Ayame... _

We break into the clearing in front of the house, and for a brief moment I saw him. On the right side of the roof, facing away from us and looking towards the sunset. I stopped in mid stride and stared up toward the roof, awestruck for a moment. But as soon as I had seen it, the image disappeared - seaming to melting into the sunset. 

"Tohru?" Yuki's light voice snapped me out of my daze. I blinked and locked my eyes on his, confused and scared suddenly. He arched an eyebrow at me, questioning as to my sudden stop. I blinked and opened my mouth to say something but- 

"**Welcome home!!**" The writes voice echoed through out the houses clearing. We both looked toward the front door to find the dog, dressed in his favorite writers rove staring at us with one of the largest grins that he could have mustered as quickly as he could. I heard Yuki sigh next to me as I took the last few steps needed to meet the dog in the doorway. 

"Thank you Shigure." I blinked at him when his smile didn't lesson one bit. And uneasy feeling swept over me, a forced smile on my face. "What is it?"

Shigure shook his shaggy black head, his grin never fading - widening even. That was something weird in itself, weird as in scary weird.

"What are you smiling about?" Yuki's voice cut over my thoughts, sharp and cold. I could tell by his voice that he was looking down his nose at him, and it only made Shigure's smile get wider. 

"_Noth-ing!_" He turned back into the house -still smiling- and sung to himself as he made his way down the hall. I smiled at his back. Shigure had a way for making me smile lately. I wasn't sure how he did it, but I'm glad he could.

"His smile annoys me." Yuki's voice was low, but there was a smile on his face as well when I turned slightly. He drew a long breath and exhaled slowly, eyes closing in a moment of peace and collection. He stepped inside after the singing dog, and I followed them inside shortly -stopping only to stare at the paper decoration that dotted the outside of the door. 

I smiled sightly, remembering that night I had cut out the small shaped of the zodiac members with Kagura...

I sighed and shut the door after me. _Cross one bridge at a time_, I reminded myself. We'll see Kagura soon enough... 

_Though I'm not sure if it's too soon..._

~*~

I sighed for what seemed like the 20th time as I washed the dishes. Dinner had been unusually quiet and I didn't like it all that much. We all ate in complete quiet, even Kubo was quiet. I cleaned the table quickly after that and moved into the kitchen to wash the dishes, slightly happy I had gotten out of that suddenly tense atmosphere. 

A tingling sensation wrapped itself around my leg for a moment, making me look down. The small orange tabby cat was laying on it's back now, paws up in the air and staring up at me. I smiled and bent to pet him, only to be rejected as he scurried away. I smiled and laughed as I herd his small feet patter away on the hard wood floor. _My hands are wet_, I remembered as I stood to start my washing again. 

It only took me another few minuets to finish up my washing. I dried my hands and put the dishes away, and walked out into that hallway. Kubo was sitting on the stairs, seeming to wait for me there. He spotted me and with a jingle of his collar he was around the corner and up the stairs. I smiled at the small cat again, knowing I would find him in my room as soon as I got up there.

Upon starting my assent, my attention turned to the walls on the left side. Along them were two streaks of dirty fingerprints. They were just above my hip, and seamed to fit the size of my pointer and middle finger, like someone had dragged their fingers along them. They were cold to the touch, and no matter how many times we painted over them -in a few days- they would start to appear again. Sometimes there would even be finger streaks in the fresh paint. It scared me though.

The finger prints had started a little after I had learned of a certain secret. It had become a habit for him to do that, and pretty soon there was a line running down the wall. And after the...'**thing'**...Shigure had the marks panted over.

_They came back._

_ And that scared me_.

I still couldn't help myself though. Every time I walked up or down these stairs I would just trail the tips of my fingers over the marks. Shigure does it too, but I believe that Yuki doesn't touch the walls in the stairway at all. 

That's exactly what I did. I ghosted my fingers upon the marks as I walked up the creaking stairs. Behind me I heard the scratching of a pen from Shigure's room, and Yuki had disappeared some time after dinner. 

I stepped into my room and closed the door behind me, another sigh escaping my lips. I stepped out of my school clothes and into a pair of soft purple pants and a baggy blue shirt. This was the most comfortable sleeping clothes I had, and they were faded and worn in and just right.

I then turned to my wood desk and chair set, finding the last piece of my nightly dress set. Folded as perfectly as I could manage was a baby blue sweat shirt that zipped up through the middle. It was hooded with drawstrings and was a few sizes too big on me- almost reaching my knees. 

_ This was the only thing I had left..._

I smiled as I slipped it on, feeling contentment sweep over me. I flicked off my lights, figuring that if I needed to get up early tomorrow I would want to go to sleep a little earlier. And as Uo said earlier today, It was going to be a very long day tomorrow. 

I curled up in my bed after I said my 'goodnight' to mom, and sighed again. It was dark now, the sky would be clear tonight. The air was colder when the night set in, but it was just warm enough to wear short selves. Perfect weather to fall asleep in.

There was a total absents of noise in the house. I listened to my breathing slow down, relaxing into the soft bed. I closed my eyes and listened to the silence, praying with all my heart that I would hear creaking boards bellow the roof- fooling myself into thinking that I would. Or quiet bickering down the hallway, or the footsteps of someone walking around barefoot. _Something_, I closed my eyes. _I needed something... _

I had lost a lot of important things in my life. My father, then my mother...but now...

My heart ached.

_I missed him._

_I missed him a lot. But I think that I'm the only one that will admit that. _

That's truly a heartbreaking thing to know. For only one person to admit they missed you when you were gone. I know I'm not the only person though...

It's me and Kagura. Kazuma too... poor Kazuma... 

It seemed like everyone's lives stopped after the 13th, like time had stopped. Three of our members were in the hospital, and one... was...

I turned over in my bed and sighed once more. 

_Be strong_ I told myself as I fought against the tears that were eating away at the edge of my eyes . _I need to be strong now. Everyone needs me, and I need them just as much. I wasn't sure if I could stand it though... I couldn't admit to myself that he was really... _

"Mew!"

The small cry resounded through my small, quiet room. I turned over just in time to see the orange tabby cat jump onto my bed with a jungle. Kubo's eyes gleamed in the darkness as he walked toward me and rubbed his soft head against my face. With another 'Mew' he curled up in a ball near my head and nestled his head into his tail. I smiled at the small cat, happy to have company in misery . 

"Night Kubo." I whispered in a thick voice and tucked my head into the baby blue sweat shirt. Sleep started to engulf me quickly, my emotions drained for the day.

Something softly brushed against my cheek just before I lost all thought. I'm not sure if it was Kubo's tail, or someone wiping a tear off my cheek... 

~*~

_**~ "...I know because I've cried..." ~**_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ranting: Welcome back! So did you like chapter 2? I'm not sure if I wrote some of these things right, but I tried to do Tohru's POV as well as I could. It's 11:53. I made my deadline! I finished by Friday!! School was tough these past days and I had little time to write. Sorry bout that... I also had to finish my outline of the story, and then get motivate to write. I had some help with that...

*Lady Kara: Thank you for the review. You were my first for the story!

*Missy: Well thank you! I tried to make it different. I hadn't ever read a fic like this so I thought that it would be a good idea. I'm not too sure because the plot is still subject to change. And as you have seen, it's not all going to be one person's POV. Last one was a 3rd and a Yuki, and this was 3ed and all Tohru. It's gonna change a lot in the next one... 

*Kath: 2 times? Sok though. So you like Kubo? He is a fun character, and the only addition I'm going to put in this fic. He was a last minuet thing too. Did it get any better in this one? I got you hooked? Yay. 

*Kimna: Thanks!

*yamatoforever: I know, it's weird but it fits. I'm glad you like it. You like Kubo too? I'm glad! Sorry that took so long...

Thanks to Iz & Kimna! To all!! By the way, none of the character in this fic are mine. Kubo is my only thing, as well as the plot. Ja!

~ SAL-Chan


	3. The Accident

The sun rose in all it's glory, the dawn tense before the sun poked it's head above the landscape. The singing of birds called for it, and rays of blue, orange, and pink sprouted from the horizon. Clouds were pushed by cold morning wind as yellow rays shot up and started to cast a shine to the dew on the grass. 

As the sun peeked its head over the horizon, the world seemed to take it's first morning breath. A new day was born as clouds rushed passed the bare trees and whisked frost covered leaves around. The morning awoke with a yawn as birds shook their heads and took of into the rapidly changing sky. Blue replaced orange, and slowly took over pink. The sun stretched it's golden rays across the sky, grasping the world in it comfortable warmth. 

The morning of October the 13th turned out to be one of the most beautiful sunrises caught by a black haired man in a long time. 

The sun glistened in his chocolate brown eyes, the reflection almost perfect in their depths. A pair of small golden rimmed glasses sat on the end of his nose, the sun shimmering off of them also. His off white writers robe was wrapped tightly around him as he leaned against a tree. He had looped an arm around it and rested his shaggy head of hair against the tree, a look of pain settled on his face as the sun rose above the trees.

It looked as if he wished the day would not come. That the sun would fall behind the horizon again and not dare to poke it's head above the green grasses. That time would wind backwards like a watch and he could go back day's, month's, years... Years ago on this day, he wished. To save something that mattered to so many people. 

To save something people never realized they needed till it was gone. To make everyone's lives a little better, a little happier. To make everything normal again.

He sighed and sat on a rock nearby, fingering the indents in them. Meanwhile the morning continued to come, time continued to tick, and life moved along. Then why did it seem like everything stopped?

_It didn't_, was the simple response to himself.

He chuckled to himself, closing his eyes and wishing the tears in them to fade away. One trickled down his cheek as he let out a quick breath, and another followed. He pulled his glasses off and bent over slightly, putting his hands up to his face. Questions flooded his mind as the supports for his daily life shook and almost broke. Questions that cut him deeply...

Why did **this **all have to happen? Why did it have to be **his **family? Why did they have to find her living in a tent? Why did she have to fall in love with this family? Why did she get in so deep that she would only hurt herself by pulling out? Why was it her? Why was it them? Why was it him? 

And why, _dear God_, did the sun keep rising when the world seem to fall apart? 

Only after he let out another quick breath did he look toward the rising sun again. Blue had exploded around the ball of fire in the sky, pink lingering around the outside while orange disappeared all together. His chocolate eyes sparkled as he stared at the sunrise for a long moment, then he wiped his eyes and put his glasses on again. Standing, he stretched his arms over his head and yawned. He then stood for another long minuet, face losing its rose color and returning to the cream it was before. 

The answer was simple, he smiled slightly. And all he had to do was hate him self to find them. 

_ Because, Because, Because..._

Because it needed to, because the family was special, because it was destiny, because she was so pure hearted, because they pulled her in, because it was her, because it was them, because it was his time.

And, his smile broadened as birds flew over head, because that was something glorious to see.

He shook his shaggy black head, and turned for the very familiar house as another '_Why_' popped in his head.

Why did the sun rise look like that? So beautiful and full of color, shining like there was no tomorrow? So rich and calming that it tamed the most wild of hearts? So full of life? So pure? So perfect for the day to come? 

Simple. It rose that way for him, so bright that even _ he_ could see it...

Strange Happening's

By SAL-Chan

*Part Three: The Accident

**_"You never know what you have until you lose it. And once you lose it, you can never get it back..."_**

~*~

I leaned back slightly and tapped the pen against my nose for what seemed like the 20th time this past half an hour. My brain was buzzing with idea's but they refused be written down, the paper as blank as it had been when I first opened my notebook. I guess my creative mind refused to work today.

Then again I did have quite a few things on my mind. 

I sighed to myself and placed the pen on the frame of my glasses so they sat across my eyes. I guess my brain had a reason to object to working today, in fact I wasn't even planning on working at all in the next few weeks. I had finished my book and it was ready for print, all it needed was to be picked up. She had wanted it today, but I told her I hadn't finished. I smiled to myself.... I felt quiet bad about doing it..._well not really_...

The smell of food drifted through the house, carried by the sound of sweet humming. She came downstairs about a half an hour ago and said her morning 'hello's', but I didn't expect my cousin for a while now. You would think that after so many years he would wake up and not walk around like a zombie for a hour. _Old habits die hard, that's what I always say..._

My attention was turned to my window once again. The morning had come in a rush as if the world wanted to get this day over with as quickly as I did. There was a nagging feeling at the bottom of my heart again as I thought that, a cold and dreadful feeling sweeping over me. It felt as if my heart was weighed down by the cold, the cold itself settled in my feet quickly after.

I had a bad feeling about today. A really, really bad feeling.

I wrinkled my eyebrow together as my right hand traveled up to my chin. Could it be that it was his death day? Or was something else going to happen?

I was worried. I normally never get a feeling like this, let alone this strong.

Then again... something about the sun rise this morning seemed different. Something felt off, special - not in a good way. There was a fake-ness to the morning that seemed to control everything and made it stand out in the littlest way. Something was so wrong.

I blinked.

The sunrise. 

The birds. 

The chill.

_It all felt the same_. Exactly the same as it had a year ago today. That's why the dawn had woken me like it did. Last year, on this day, I had woken up early and walked to the back clearing and watched the sunrise that morning also. 

"Your going crazy Shigure..." I mumbled to myself taking the pen off my glasses and setting it down on the desk. That couldn't be possible "You're totally senseless. You're being impractical..."

"Shigure?"

I blinked and spun to my open door, finding the cooking angel standing there in a pink apron. She was smiling at me slightly, but her eyebrow arched in question. She had heard me talking to myself.

"Yes Tohru?" I almost laughed at myself. A grin had spread across my face so quickly I wasn't even sure that I hadn't had one on before I turned around. 

"Breakfast is ready." She said sweetly and turned toward the kitchen again. _That reminds m_e-

"Tohru..." I said quickly so she wouldn't scurry away. "...Could you make a small lunch for yourself, Yuki, and myself. Where going to be out for a little wile today, so I was thinking we would eat lunch with everyone else." 

Something filtered in the back of her large eyes, but she nodded.

"I'll make up a list and go to the grocery store to get things after breakfast." She said softly, a small smile still place on her face. I nodded and she was off into the kitchen again.

I sighed and sat back slightly once more._ We were meeting up with everyone else around 12, so she should have more than enough time to get everything over with before that. We are probably only going to stay there for about a hour, then head back to the main Sohma house for dinner. Something family like.... _

I blinked again. I cant believe I was thinking this. _ Only an hour?_ I shook my head. I_ hope Hari had planned this out more than I had. Talk about last minuet._

After another minuet or two I decided. We were going to eat at the site, staying at least two hours. It's was only right.

"Shigure." 

I spun around again, this time to face my grumpy cousin. His face was drawn downward in a frown and he looked a little mad - with no big surprise- at me. 

"What is it _Yuki?_" I asked, making sure my voice came up at his name.

"I've been calling you for the past 10 minuets. You breakfast is getting cold." He said coldly, an irritated edge in his voice.

"Oh! Really? Well _thank you _Yuki." I grinned at him with all my might. He sighed and disappeared behind the doors, moving toward the dinning room. I felt the smile slowly slip off my face.

_Had I been that distracted? _

"Come on Shigure, old boy. Collect yourself..." I murmured as I stood, brushing the small invisible dust particles that were littered on my lap. It felt as if the bottom of my stomach had dropped out and my heart felt heavy again. I really did not want to go into that room...

I was shuffling along the hallway and into the room before I even thought about not going. Tohru stopped in mid eating motion and looked up at me immediately, an angelic smile gracing her face like I had every morning. Yuki continue to eat as if I wasn't even here, normal Yuki morning thing. Kabocha was playing with a stuffed mouse that sat in the corner, the bell on the end of it's tail ringing loudly as it was hit from side to side. 

And my heart grew heavier still.

~*~

"Aha...that was good." The ritualistic statement came from my mouth without me thinking. Our cherubic cooks food fit for the Gods, she blesses us with it's heavenly taste every single day. I was in tasted bud heaven!

"Thank you Shigure." She smiled, a small pinkish tint covering he sweet cheeks. Her voice seemed to echo in the room as silence settled in after, each of us lost in our own thoughts. The quiet was not settling at all.

_Say it now._ I told myself as my heart grew heavier still. 

"Yuki, Tohru..." My voce was softer than I had intended. It held a ring of concern and kindness in it that I hadn't even expected. The two turned quickly to me, both looking apprehensive. I gathered my breath, forming the sentences in my head. It was quite hard to do, saying things like this to people you care for.

"...I believe that where going to be leaving around 11:30 and meet with everyone else at 12. I'm planning on staying for a good hour or two -lunch included- and then heading back to the main Sohma house or back here. Understand?"

The air in the room thickened in seconds. Yuki stared at me, violet eyes swimming with thoughts I couldn't decode. They hardened quickly after, a crud and cut not answering my question. Tohru blinked a few times and nodded, then furrowed her eyebrows and crinkled her nose. She then blinked again, a determined face masking her concentrated one. 

"I'm sorry to be impolite then, but I need to get the groceries if I'm going to make lunch for us now. I also need time to press my dress and tidy the house up for everyone when they get back." She rushed her sentences slightly in a desperate effect to save time. _She's so cute sometimes._ I opened my mouth to say something but-

"I'll get the groceries for you." Yuki said calmly, causing Tohru's large green eyes to grip onto him quickly. She blinked and started to shake her head.

"I couldn't make you do-"

"It's nothing." He cut her off with a smile, standing in one fluid and graceful movement. A small smile pulled itself onto my lips. 

"Where's the list?" He asked as he walked toward the kitchen, leaving a slightly surprised Tohru staring at his retreating back with larger green eyes. She had no time to object again for the bottom of her heart, for he knew exactly how to insist something without pushing and knowing that she would think that he would be offended if she told him that she could do it herself... if that made any sense. 

"It's ah..." She scurried into the kitchen after him, pulling a small folded up piece of paper out of her apron pocket and unfolded it. "It's right here..." 

I grinned and rested my cheek on the palm of my hand, supporting it with my elbow. I drummed my fingertips on the side of my face as I watched a wind carry fallen leaves past the screened doors. I slightly realize that Yuki and Tohru were having a light conversation about the list behind me, my thoughts gathering in my head. 

Kubo brushed against my back, a 'Mew' coming from his mouth. He jingled as he walked, his small black name plate that hung from his collar dancing with his movements. I smiled at the little kitten and brushed my hand over his back, causing him to created an arch of orange. _He was almost the same color..._

"Shigure?"

Tohru's quiet voice shook me from my mind once again as I turned to face her, my trade mark grin appearing on my face instantly. She held the same face she had on when she caught me talking to myself, eyebrows raised slightly and a small smile on her face. 

"Yes?" I asked, my grin growing.

"Yuki left for the store, so I have time to press your suite if you want me to. I can do it after I clear the table if that's ok?" She was fiddling with the bottom of her apron, blushing slightly. 

"Don't worry about the table Tohru. I'll clean it up. You go get ready and press my suite if you can..." I said to her gently, my grin fading into a real half smile. Better let me do all the worrying and let her have some time to herself.

"Thank you Shigure. I'll do the best I can." She smiled and spun into the kitchen again, followed by her fine furry friend. 

"No problem Tohru..." I murmured, resting my head on my arm again. My head was heavier than it had been in a long time. Something was going wrong, right now. I shook it off, strapping down my depressing thoughts for later. I had two and a half hours of rest and I wasn't going to spend it brooding over it my haunting thoughts later.

I sighed as my temples started to pound.

"...today is going to be a **very** long day..."

~*~ 

My eyes skimmed over the list one last time.

_ Got it, got it, got it. Finished._

She didn't need a lot of things, but it would have taken a longer time if she had to come. She did have other things to get to, and she needed to get ready also...

I sighed as I paid the checkout lady. Though I did need to get ready also, she probably was ironing Shigure and my outfits right now. Then she wanted to clean and get herself ready, and make the food and buy it. A true gentlemen -like myself- would not sit around and let her do everything -like Shigure. Therefore I stepped in and took the longest and most time consuming task upon myself, giving her as much leeway as I could. 

"Thank you and come again." The singsong voice of the cashier rang in my ears as I grabbed my bag, nodded at the girl, and strode out of the store in one smooth movement. I flipped my wrist around in front of my face to check my watch.

_10:26 am. Half an hour walk home and 20 minuets to get ready. I could probably fit a shower in before we go, then helping Tohru get the food ready and clean if she hadn't finished already._

I took a left at the next block and continued my way home. _It's the only thing I hate_, I reminded myself, sighing. This stupid walk to and from anywhere if we need anything.

I sighed to myself and turned down a main street, adjusting the bags in my hands. The cool autumn wind was whipping my short, odd colored hair around my face. _Too long _I decided then, whipping it away from my face. _Maybe I'll get it cut tomorrow, it just brushed my shoulder now. Way too long for my comfort, but at least it wasn't white._

_ 15 minuets till I got home. _

I smiled to myself slightly. _If my hair was white -like my brothers- I probably would have dyed it another color sooner. Blond, or brown maybe...would I look good as a brunet?_

As soon as that thought left my mind, a screeching sound filled my ears. A sound somewhat compared to the dragging of your nails against a chalk board. A piercing sound that reached my ears the same exact moment pain shot through my body. I was suddenly thrown toward the pavement, the grocery bag flying from my hand, my vision blacking out instantly as I hit the rocky pavement. 

Pain swamped my brain and wrapped my body in torment that I had only know when I was little. Everything hurt, my head and my legs protesting the most. I was thrown god knows how many feet ahead, rolling and cutting myself on shards of metal and glass. Pain was my only thought, the only thing I felt, the only thing I knew at that moment. 

I'm not sure if I cried out, the tang of metal filling my mouth before I thought any sound would. Unconsciousness took me quickly, saving me from the sole searing pain I felt as people cried out things I couldn't understand. The world suddenly held no sound.

My last thought was of the sweet smell of my favorite food cooking, and the hums of an angel as she strung the cloths on the clothes line or hustled around the house cleaning. My angel, Tohru...

And suddenly, I knew nothing.

~*~

I grabbed a small yellow dish rag and whipped my hands dry. 

_ Wash the dishes: check._

_ Clean the table: check. _

_ Clean the mess cluttered in Shigure's office: check._

_ In the dining room: check. _

_ Sweep the front: check._

_ -And the back: check. _

_ Iron Shigure, Yuki's and my clothes: check..._

I placed the dish rag down and stared at the shine the water droplets created in the sink. All I had left to do was wait for Yuki to come home with the food and make lunch for us. I looked up towards the door, over which a clock was placed. 

_ 10:52 am._

I was suddenly worried, a normal thing when any one of them were out. It didn't take that long to go to the grocery store on foot. I blinked, fear suddenly flooding me. _What if something happened?..._

I shook my head, a small smile forming on my face. 

"You always think that and nothing ever happens. Everything's ok. It's always ok..." I calmed myself in a quiet voice, smiled at my distorted face in the sink. It was always OK.

"Tohru?" Shigure's light tenor voice came from the door, I jumped slightly and spun to face him. He had just poked his head, his hair combed to the sides and neater that usual. He wore a white collar shirt buttoned up to the top one, his hands fumbling messily trying to correctly tie his black tie. White socks stuck out from under his pressed black pants and a shinny black belt gleamed in the light. All together he looked like a blue collar worker, ready to do something so not Shigure like.

I decided. He looked much better in a suite, but I would always see him in his writers robe when ever I though about him. Like a Chinese style shirt and dark blue pants on Yuki, and a black shirt and...

"Could you, aha...help me here?" Shigure pulled me from my thoughts, his fingers almost tied in his tie. I smiled and giggled slightly, moving over to him and pulling his fingers from the knot's. With a quick flip and a pull, Shigure's tie looked perfect. He smiled down at me.

"Thanks. That's the reason I hate theses stupid suits. I can't do these ties." He mumbled, moving the tie back and forth, sighing slightly. He barked a quiet laugh as he ran a hand down the tie.

"You should probably get dressed. Your not going to have any time when he gets back from the store." He turned toward his office were I expected he had his formal jacket folded neatly on his desk, still playing with his tie.

"I'll go get dressed then." I smiled at his back and turned towards the stairs and was up quickly, ghosting my fingers up the warn finger trails. Turning down the hall, the echoing sound of the telephone's ring reaching my ears before I even touched my door. I blinked and turned toward the stairs. _Who would be calling us now? Uo, Hana maybe?_

I heard Shigure's footsteps head toward the phone and a quick click as he picked it up. His low "Hello?" reached my ears and seemed to be the only noise for miles around. I waited a moment as his "Speaking..." Reached my ears, worry etched in his voice.

_ Something happened_, my head screamed as a sinking feeling settled in the bottom of my heart. 

"What?" His voice reached my ears without me even trying to listen. "When?"

_Something _had_ happened..._ the was a moment of complete quiet as my breaths became deep, trying to calm myself. 

"Right. We'll be there as soon as we can." His voice held something that I had only herd from him once before. Determination and worry combining into something that I never wish to here again. _The same voice.._.

"Tohru!" He barked my name up the stairs, scaring me slightly. The strands of my memory's were paling all over again, something that I wished would never happen. And I was very scared. 

"Lets go! Now!" His voice seemed to be stressed as he yelled to me. My knees were going weak, the sinking feeling in my heart enveloping my entire chest. My breath became quickened and needed.

"Shigure?" I said quietly, clutching the corner of the walls. "What's happened? Where are we going?" My voice even sounded scared to me.

"There was an accident. e need to go to the hospital now. Hatori's picking us up in 2 minuets." His voice was stern, and my knees slowly gave out. I didn't hit the floor hard, but I hit it hard enough to make a solid sound and to bruise them. My mind had stopped, and I stopped breathing. **This was a nightmare**. I was living the same day over again, the same day exactly a year ago. The same words had come form Shigure's mouth, the same tome, the same crisp and dark tone. 

_ The same day a year ago...o God..._

"Who got hurt?" I breathed, surprised that I was able to form words at all. I was dreading, fearing his answer, feeling as if I was dying all over again. As if my mother was leaving me again, that he was leaving again, and some how I knew that if I lost another person so close to me, my life would end completely.

"...It was Yuki." 

I shook, tears immediately in my eyes. Strong arms protectively wrapped around me as the same white shirt I had been admiring before was suddenly against my face. I buried my head in his shirt, grabbing onto him in a tight hug, holding on with all my might. Shigure was my only anchor at the moment, his embrace father-like and deeply needed. 

I felt my world falling apart around me.

_ If I lost Yuki the same way..._

_ ...if I lost him at all...exactly like how I had lost my mother...and...k...Kyo......_

_ ...gone in a flash...without a real goodbye..._

_ ...Yuki... _

_ ...please God. Let him live... please..._

______________________________________________________________________________

Ranting: So? Was this chapter ok? I know I kinda left it as a 'OMG what's going to happen?' cliffhanger thing... don't hurt me? So... that was the second time Kyo's name was written at all in the fic. Pretty good sense he was a main character...

...but what's gonna happen to Yuki? Is he ok? And Tohru leaves you with a question. Did Kyo really die like her mother? Any flames & reviews are welcome. (I'll hurt you if you flame me though...~vane~ just try it...)

*Kinma: Well it was a little sad. And I guess you could say they're depresses, but I can't tell you why or anything...you'll figure it out yourself. I was actually trying to get this out on the 13th, but I had a fit of laziness...

*Veronica: You think it's sad too...just don't cry. I know, but I love him anyway!! If you wanna know, read again! ~Grins~

*yamatoforever: Yeah, I hope I am. You're probably not gonna know for a little while...maybe a chap or 2. Kagura won't come in until later, just letting you know. And Kazuma is coming too, don't worry. And about that Haru and Hana thing, can tell ya! ~wink~

*Sakura Avalon or Kinomoto: Glad everybody likes and/or loves the story. I didn't think people would. I'm trying a different type or writing for myself, and it seems to be working if you like it. I can't tell you that, I might give something away ^-^! Sure I'm continuing, and I'll read your fic's too.

*Iz-Chan: O shut up! So what if I have so many idea's!! You love every one...and yes... "I'm the writer!!" HAHA!!

Bonus: Pre-view of the next chap!: (Iz told me this was mean...) 

"....I don't know if she could take anything like this...Yuki too..."I sighed, leaning back against that waiting room chair. I rubbed his temples and sighed, looking to my left. Ayame shrugged, his long white hair hiding his face slightly. His gold eyes were passive, detached in some way.

"I don't think any of us can." Ayame's voice was quiet as he looked up just in time to see the young cow enter the hospital waiting room carrying a crying Kisa who gripped onto his black vest. Though he didn't show it, you could tell Haru's silent pain. Haru nodded at me and took the crying Kisa over to Hiro, who had jumped from his seat to meet them. The Cow took a seat and tilted is head back, resting it on the back of the chair as the scared and crying Tiger continued to clutch to his shirt. She did reach out for the disgruntled Sheep, but he merely sat a seat away and continued to stare down the hallway, her hand wrapped around his shirt sleeve.

"It's too soon. If we loose Yuki now...I'm not sure what will happen. "Ayame's voice was tight, tears welling up in his golden orbs. His brothers life was still in danger. As if it had ripped open a healing scar. Car accidents... 

"Well one step at a time..." My voice died in my through as my eyes fixated on the door, wide in surprise and disbelief. Dressed in a deep blue turtle neck and a pare of plain black slacks, just the person I did not expect at that moment... 

....JA!! ^-^

~SAL-Chan


	4. Worries and Strange Happening’s

The wind had caught a haunting chill, the sun seeming to set earlier that ever before. It had crept behind the tree's around 5:40pm, yet the remains of the sun still lingered in the darkening blue sky. Today the pink seemed red, the yellow more of a warning light, and the purple melancholy.

Clouds dotted the sky pushed by the chilling autumn winds. Orange raged in the distance and the cold black color snuck around the other side of the sunset. Stars hadn't started to shine yet, but the half moon was clearly hanging over a large, ominous looking building. Lights dotted small rooms and lit parts of the building, giving it a look of life.

The night of October the 13th looked deadly and ominous, something quite unexpected from this morning's sunrise. Bit quite fitting in that same way...

Sirens wailed and lights flashed, people rushed in and out of the building screaming -saving peoples lives. Among the confusions, a long figure stood gazing with level eyes at the trouble around him. His pressed white shirt barley protected him from the cold winds, but his long white coat covered him and kept him warm on his brief break. 

His black hair was cut short around his ears, the bangs on his left side almost eclipsing his eye completely. A cigarette hung limply from his mouth, the wind carrying the grey smoke away along with his bangs, revealing a pair of green eyes. His eyes themselves were dark and focused on the setting sun, unreadable thoughts flashing behind them.

He sighed and attempted to rub the tension out of his shoulder, exhaling a puff of white smoke. It had been a very long day for the youthful looking man, emotions clashing with work when a certain family member was rushed in. It was painful to think about, and the date didn't help him. The hand that was not holding on to the cigarette fingered a deep scar that reached from his left collar bone across to his shoulder. A deep, ugly scar... 

A moment later he was joined by a rushing and panicked man, his voice wavering in fright and pain. He was wearing something completely out of character, dress pants that blended into the darkness. His long snow white hair matched the crisp dress shirt he wore, his golden eyes brimming with tears unshed, cheeks flushed.

They talked a moment, and then the golden eyed man almost collapsed into a brotherly embrace, sobbing into the doctors clean coat. He shook with the cold of the night and pure emotion, and the dark haired man shared a small amount of that pain. He removed one hand from the showy hair man's back and removed his cigarette, flicking the ashes away and then took another drag. 

And so the silently suffering Dragon held the quivering Snake, giving it as much support as he could muster. He cast his dark green eyes up toward the sky, their evermore green color sparkling. The unbelievable situation had caught up to him, and he prayed to all the gods that the Rat would live. The Dragon felt as if those same gods had ripped his family apart the same day a year ago, and they were being attacked on their weakest day of the year. They were being attacked from above, quite a crude thing in his book.

And the Dragon hoped that he was not mad, for they did miss visiting his grave on the anniversary of his death...

Strange Happening's

By SAL-Chan 

*Part Four: Worries and Strange Happening's

**_"Everyone who lives dies, but not everyone who dies lives..."_**

~*~

"...He's stable, but not out of danger yet."

I sighed in relief, a weight being taken off my shoulders. _At least he was stable now, but there was still a chance that we could loose Yuki on the same day... _

"What happened?" I asked, my voice strangely strong compared to the situation, compared to what I felt. The hand that clung o my shirt tightened as I wrapped an arm around his small frame. The young blond Bunny clutched onto me, a small sob coming from his lips. On my right side sat my best friend whose knees were curled up to his chest, his white hair trailing down his back and his golden eyes locked onto Hari like he was his lifeline. Hiro sat across from me, his dark chocolate eyes shifting from Hatori to the waiting room door. 

Hatori stood in front of me, his hands stuffed in his pockets. Even though he was in the hospital, a cigarette still sat lit in his mouth and no one said a word about it. He did walk back and forth slightly, his panic and fear showing though with that unnecessary movement. 

"Well he got hit by a car from behind." He said grimly, turning in his pacing. "He was thrown about 15 ft and hit his head. He does have a concussion, and he broke 3 ribs as well as his left leg. One of his ribs almost punctured his lung, but just missed. He was still unconscious when I last left him." He explained quite calmly, but his eyes betrayed his voice.

And with each of Hari's injury's listed, Ayame sunk closer and closer to his knees. He looked like a little boy, eyes wide and shaking slightly. Hatori, eyes shifting from me to the white haired man, moved over and kneeled next to him. Ayame hadn't even shown that Hatori had come near, staring at the spot that Hatori had stood a minuet ago. The Dragon whispered something to him, griping onto his arm. I was distracted by the shivering Rabbit in my arms to hear what he said.

"Shigure?" Came his suddenly tinny voice. I looked down to find tears falling down his face, his breath hiccupped slightly. No other sounds came from him though, his eyes brave and his face set. 

"Yuki's going to be ok. He's going to be fine." His said strongly, the strength in his voice radiating and sinking into me. It felt so good to be given strength and not giving it, almost tempting me to drop my brave and strong face and letting someone else take over. I had kept my strong face on last year, and I've kept it up until now. But...I just felt so tired... 

"Your right." I responded, closing my eyes and placing my head on the top of the blond boys. I felt bad for him right now, hoping that I could give some of my fading strength to him. _Having almost the same thing happen to someone he loves on the same days two years in a row. At least he was wasn't involved with it this time, and I couldn't help but feel more secure with Hari here this time and not part of the accident either. Now all we need to see was if Kisa was alright also...but Haru wouldn't let her go anywhere without him anymore, so she was probably fine._

Momiji's hand had drifted up to the scar on his face, brushing it with his thumb over and over . He was looking into space now, tears slowing down to a stop.

"We missed going to see him today Shigure." He said in a small voice, and suddenly I saw the small boy as he was a year ago. I lifted my head from his and combed a hand through it, but he still didn't let any slack go on his grip around my shirt.

"And it hurts." He continued. "I wanted to see him again, to say thank you." He dragged his knees up to his chest and leaned into my supporting shoulder more. He closed his eyes and sighed, his eyes puffy and red.

I leaned my head against the back of the waiting room chair, my eyes drifting closed. I didn't think, a buzzing sensation covering my entire brain, and it felt so nice. I'm not sure how long we stayed like that, but I was shaken from my semi-consciousness by Ayame's soft voice.

"I feel bad for Tohru."

The comment shook me as I pried my eyes open and turned toward him. He had relaxed into the seat, his legs stretched out in front of him and his arms were relaxed at his sides. His head was reclined and eyes closed. 

"What?" The statement had only jarred me to consciousness, but I didn't escape the numbing feeling that had enclosed my brain in nothingness.

"I feel bad for her." He stated again, his elegant eyebrows arching. I nodded slightly, realizing that the Bunny had fallen asleep - and was currently using me as a support . I was slightly worried that my voice would wake him, it being low and rough. It then clicked as to what Ayame was talking about.

"What? The fact that she's traumatized again, or that she might actually loose another person she loves? That we love? Because..." I started, but Momiji cooed next to me. Slowly I laid him back against the chair, and smiled slightly- though it did not last too long.

"....I don't know if she could take anything like this...a chance of losing Yuki too..."I sighed, leaning back against that waiting room chair. I rubbed my temples and sighed, looking to my left. Ayame shrugged, his long white hair hiding his face slightly. His gold eyes were passive now, detached in some way. Though it seemed that whatever Hari had said to him had calmed him down a bit.

"I don't think any of us can." Ayame voice was quiet as he looked up just in time to see the young Cow enter the hospital waiting room carrying a crying Kisa, who griped onto his black vest. Though he didn't show it, you could tell Haru's silent pain by the fact that his eyes weren't as hard as normal. Haru nodded sharply at me and took the crying Kisa over to Hiro, who had jumped from his seat to meet them. The Cow then took a seat and tilted is head back, resting it on the back of the chair as the scared and crying Tiger continued to clutch to his shirt. She did reach out for the disgruntled Sheep, but he merely sat a seat away and continued to stare down the hallway, her hand wrapped around his shirt sleeve too. 

"It's too soon. If we loose Yuki now...I'm not sure what will happen." Ayame's voice was tight, tears welling up in his golden orbs. His brothers life was still in danger, and it amazed me that he had even wanted to talk about this. This accident had ripped open a healing scar, making lines become unclear and memory's unblocked. _Car accidents... _

"Well one step at a time..." My voice died in my through as my eyes fixated on the door, wide in surprise and disbelief. Dressed in a deep blue turtle neck and a pair of plain black slacks, just the person I did not expect at that moment...

He walked in briskly, his presence demanding everyone's attention and at the same time he forced everyone to look away. His posture was straight and set, and his cold eyes met mine instantly. 

I stood instantly, directing all my fellow zodiacs to look sharply at me. Ayame followed my gaze quickly and made a move to stand up. With a small wave of my hand he stopped quicker than I had thought he would at that moment, his eyes became wide and mouthing a name. A switch in the back of my head clicked on, and I started to walk toward him, back straight and eyes level.

I had stopped before he reached me, my whole body tense. He almost strode past me but stopped just in my blind spot so that I couldn't see him but he could see me. He turned his dark head toward me, a small smile on his face. I continued to stare straight ahead, unblinking and waiting for what was to come.

"_Good dog_..." His voice was light and conversational, it's undertow pulling - daring me to snap my head towards him and object to that discarding comment. I, being the obedient Dog, didn't move. Were we just out of ear shot of everyone else, thanks to me and my ingenious walking to meet him. I may be blindly loyal, but I sure wasn't stupid. 

"So, what has happened? I heard some type of problem had come up?" His voice was freezing- liquid, bone-chilling cold. He walked around to my other side, his hand trailing over my shoulder blades in a small, intimate gesture. He stepped in front of me again, a silver smile and a haunting -chilling- glow in his eyes. I immediately let all the information spill from my mouth, about what we were going to do today and what Hatori had told us about Yuki...his **pet**...

As I let all this information spill, I watched as any trace of emotion left his face. There was a moment of silence when I finished, any other noise or movement faded from my vision and my mind. He moved slowly again, changing the foot he was leaning all his weight on. 

There was a resounds smack that vibrated through the room, though no one but the Sohma's - mainly I - noticed it.

My left cheek stung, and my head had been jolted to the right with the blow. Pain throbbed through my entire cheek, my eye stinging and my ear ringing. Though I wished to push him away - or hit him back- I stood glued to my spot. I didn't turned my head back to him, just stopped moving, hoping he wouldn't hit my other cheek. Forever loyal... 

"_**Where's Hatori?!**_" He shouted, making most of the people in that waiting room look toward him. My fellow family members exchanged quick looks as he stormed past them, heading toward the front desk. He dismissed us all without trying. 

I rubbed my cheek and turned back to everyone else. Haru was standing now with blazing eyes, Kisa griping onto his black baggy pants- hiding behind him with Hiro. Momiji was up now, honey eyes gaping at me. 

"You ok?" Ayame asked as I walked toward them again. I plopped down next to him and Momiji gripped onto me quickly once more. I had been reduced to the Dog again, loyal to his master and a front man for everything. I had relayed the information knew by all, and was punished for all because of it. And now I realized that if I hadn't done that, Hatori might have had to. But my heart hurt still, and I felt like someone had kicked my side as '_Good Dog_' rang in my head. 

I felt myself shake slightly. My control was slipping again.

"Fine." I replied in a calm voice, rubbing me reddening cheek. "I expected it so it didn't hurt. Better me that Hatori." I pointed out, a small grin erecting itself on my face. It hurt to do, but I did want, I needed to...

Quiet snuck in after that, no one quite knowing what to say. Ayame bowed slightly and entwined his hand's, placing his elbows on his thighs and prayed softly. Haru sat, Kisa curling up on his lap and burying her head into his shirt. Hiro moved a seat closer to Haru and leaned his head against the Cow's broad shoulder. Momiji snuggled up to my side and started to finger the gash on his cheek again, closing his eyes. 

A powerless feeling swept over me, sinking into my very being once again. 

We could do nothing about anything, both for Yuki...

...or anything about Sohma Akito...

...or for dear Tohru. 

~*~

White.

White was the dominate color through the whole room. The floors were tiled light gray and white, alternating in a checker board pattern. The walls were so white it hurt to look at, and the ceiling was a darker gray than the tile floors. Crisp white drapes covered the windows, though the darkness from behind them was the only thing that broke the white cage. 

There was a steady beeping sound that echoed through the almost silent room. The steady rhythm was matched by the rising of a skinny red line that followed the week beating of something very precious to me. 

And a lone bed sat in a room, it's occupant seeming to sleep peacefully...for the moment. 

His hair was tossed and pulled back, a bandage wrapped around is head to cover the gash on the right side. He was ashen, his long skinny limbs stretched out in the seemingly small bed. A sky blue cast was wrapped around his left leg, from his knee down and encasing his foot all together. A bandage consumed his entire right arm, blood soaking through the neatly tied white cloth. His eyes were closed lightly and his mouth agape slightly, a tube inserted to helping him breathe. Wires stretched forth from him to a machine that had it purposes hidden from me, but it looked like he was turning into an android.

I cried out softly again and gripped his good hand, burying my head into the bed next to him. Tears ran rapidly down my face and soaked the blanked through once more. My hair had started to stick to my face as I started to kneed his hand, slightly comforted by the fact that his palm was warm. 

_ I had almost lost him too..._

My sobs had subsided slightly and I bit my lip, un-crossing my legs and putting my knees together. I hadn't moved from my seat for about an hour now, and I had been the only one in here for about a half an hour.

And the entire time I had been praying. Praying that Yuki could be ok, that he would wake up. That he wouldn't disappear...

My hear pulsed with emotional pain. 

I don't remember the drive to the hospital, or even walking to the emergency room where Yuki was being treated, but I can remember his blood. _There was so much blood..._

_** ~Blood dripped onto the floor at a rapid pace, a crimson sheet of liquid forming around him. It dripped from his face, a long gash open wide enough for muscles to show. It dripped from his arm, and his chest also. His eyes echoed pain and loneliness, and he stared up at me. Only me...~**_

I shook again, my body trembling like it was cold. It had happened the same way. Everything, the rushing, the noise, the yelling, the pain. Though this time I hadn't been by Yuki's side, I didn't hold his hand...and - thankfully- I hadn't let him go... 

I shook with a sob, and it echoed around the room. The room itself had decreased in temperature, goose bumps running up my arms. I squeezed my eyes closed, wishing that the memory's of this day a year ago would disappear all together. 

**_ ~The entire time he stared at me, eyes drowning in death. I didn't know it was death at the time, but some type of pain. He was clutching my hand limply, blood smeared all over his hand as well as mine. There was yelling around me, but all I remember doing was lifting my hand up and combing a hand softly through his hair, brushing it off to the side and away from his eyes. His face was white, but his eyes were amazing.~ _**

I clenched my empty hand to my chest, quieting my sobs slightly. Remembering the day...I don't know...I just made me feel...it...

_** ~And as I watched, his eyes grow dimmer and dimmer, his mouth moving - saying something that I'll remember for the rest of my life. His hand grew slack slowly, and it dropped out of my slick red hand. A small smile formed on his mangled face, one last spark of emotion flashing thought his eyes before they fluttered closed. And suddenly his face seemed white, his blood sparkling red all over, and the small smile fading as if it had never been there before. And suddenly he was gone...~**_

He was gone.

Like that. He just disappeared, without a real goodbye. And today, I was so scared that I would loose Yuki exactly like that too...

"Please..." I murmured to anyone who would listen, anyone who could give me a gift, who could help at all. The room became colder and colder, as a small painful sob came from me. "I can't loose him too. You took my father, my mother, and Kyo from me, but please -please!- let me keep Yuki. Let me keep someone!"

**_~The look of death had tainted my eyes, and I was quickly shoved back and away from him. His body jerked with an electric shock, his eyes flying open. Hope had pulled me up, and then threw me down when I noticed that those beautiful eyes that had glimmered a moment ago were dark and dead. But his voice, his last words ever, still rang in my ears...~ _**

I shook again as a shiver ran down my spine, my tears flooding my vision. My free hand traveled up to my mouth, my finger tips brushing my lips, the taste of salt water lingering on them. My eyes traveled over Yuki's still body, a the chill in the room creeping into my sole.

"I can't stand to loose Yuki too...one, but not both..." I murmured, and suddenly the chill in the room became more intense. Like a snap frost trailed down my spine, my fingertips and nose suddenly freezing. I bowed my head again and placed it on Yuki's hand, closing my tired eyes. 

I have finally accepted it. I had told myself that he was gone, pretended that he was, but now I truly accepted it. I had know, I had watched him leave his family, his friends, his world...me...

_**~...I had heard him say " See ya. Be safe..." ~ **_

_ That was the last thing he ever said to me. _

_ The last thing he said before he died._

_ The last thing._

_ Before he died._

_ He died._

_ Kyo...died..._

_ Kyo was..._gone_..._

The chill in the air snapped around me and disappeared all together. Warmth and a relieved feeling swept over me, another tear fell from my eye and onto his pale hand. It seemed to sparkle like nothing I had ever seen before, like a star in the clear sky. It seemed to fan out and turn into sparkling dust, and then evaporated before Yuki's hand. Suddenly I was very tired.

"Well this is great..."

The voice resounded in the room, echoing with a deep hollow sound. It was distant, a low tenor with a slight hint of sarcasm that strung a painful cord in my memory. I picked my head up as that voice stabbed my heart.

I shook my head and gripped his pale hand tighter. My head was pounding, and my brain felt fuzzy. It had to be my imagination stabbing at my heart. I prayed to god again, that Yuki would wake and open his eyes, and smile at me with the sweet smile of his. Another tear fell from my eye.

"Why does this shit gotta happen today?" 

This time I jumped, my back straighten, still griping onto Yuki's pale hand. T_hat voice! It couldn't be, I was delusional, or I was dreaming. This couldn't be...it couldn't be..._

I turned to the doorway, hoping that I was hearing someone else that sounded like that; locked and closed. I snapped my head to the window, wondering, suddenly frightened; closed and locked also.

There was no one else in the room except me and Yuki. A chill ran up my spine, and I was suddenly so very scared. My heart was pounding in my chest -in my ears- as I noticed how cold the room still was, the root of the cold just brushing my left arm. It tickled me and chilled me, and scared me even more. It drew me to it, and my heart continued to beat faster.

I turned toward the cold, my head seeming to move so slow. And I saw something that I would never in my wildest dreams, ever think of seeing. 

Hovering about 2 feet over the unconscious Rat in the bed was a hand. 

Semi-transparent hand waving back and forth in front of Yuki's face. 

I don't think that a transparent waving hand in front of Yuki's face is what scared me the most. I think it was that around the wrist - or around that now visible wrist that was slowly materializing - was the fabled black and white beaded bracelet that I have not seen in a year. 

I blinked again as I felt my face turn pale, as a wave of pure shock passed over me. Mean while, the soft glowing light followed up the wrist and flowed into a tan-ish colored arm, then flowed into a short sleeved, black shirt. It then flowed down into an ever so familiar pair of khaki colored cargo pants which were torn at the knees and down the right side. Then slid down into a pair of bare tan feet.

On the other side a tan-ish neck craned forth from the top of the ripped black shirt. It then fed into a firm chin, over turned down lips, and to a slightly pointed nose. A pair of fuzzy red eyes that held no shine from the light's in to room seemed alive, yet dead and dull at the same time. Orange colored hair fell around his ears and eyes in a messy fashion, and continued to hover around like wind was pushing it back and forth. 

In a sweeping movement, the hand was waving over Yuki's face and was stuffed angrily into a pocket, then leaned back to recline slightly. Crossing his legs, her peered down at Yuki like he had done something wrong. 

There, right in front of me, hovering over his cousin's prone form, was the 2 years deceased - on this exact day,...

..._Kyo Sohma_... 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Ranting: Hehe? ~Slips behind her laptop~ Well at least I let you know who made Shigure stop dead, right? And sorry, this is a bit of a cliffy in itself. But I had to, cuz the next part will bring us into some more important facts that you guy's have wanted to know for a wile now. I gave you a taste of it, and so I'll probably tell you in the next one. But can you guy's piece it together? Cuz I'm probably not gonna be able to post for a little while now. (See Bio)

My favorite character in this chapter (Slim picking's, I know) Had to be Shigure. I don't know why, but he's my fave in this chapter...

And I'm hearing that you guy's are liking my beginnings. They're really hard to do...btw...

So now what's gonna happen? Is that really Kyo? And what is up with Akito? (You don't have to answer that) Shigure told us who was hurt before in that accident, but what really happened? And what about Yuki!? Please review and tell me what you think! 

Anyway...

*Merei-chan: Glad you like it! I'm trying to make it sound that way, and feel it too. But I might be doing things too fast... Corse I'm continuing, I got....~Counts~ I got bout 10 more chapters written out on my outline, and 10 more not totally written out. So be prepared...*Kimna: O my wonderful beta! Sorry bout this one, but I wanted to get it out ASAP and start on the new one. You reviewed again!! There's your end to the cliffy, and another one!! Plus the bonus for this chapter...The morning was hard. But I did my own research and got my lazy butt up to see one and wrote what I saw. ^-^ ~Dinkdink~ Well to keep you from wondering bout it, it was Shigure. Sorry...

*veronica: I made you cry!?! I'm sorry! I didn't know it would do that to you!! Well just wait and see what happens to Yuki, but Hatori said he *might* be ok. So don't worry! Glad you'll keep up with it!!

*Misaki: Yay!! You like it too!!! It's a bit aghast but hay!, I try! ^-^ I love to torture main characters!! My favorite in Fruba is Kyo, so yea!! It wouldn't be good if you didn't torture the main character you love! Well I've read "Forlorn hope" (I reviewed too!) and our style's do seem a bit similar. You put me on your favorite?!? O THANK YOU!!! Corse I'll update, that's what this chapters doing...

*yamatoforever: Hay, you've reviewed for every chapter so far! Thank you so much! I did? How so? Well I originally made it so Shigure was talking bout Kyo, but you're right in that sense also. I guess he could be talking about Tohru too. Cool, didn't even see that. Yep yep, just brought the Kitty cat back!! Wow your good. Did I mention that before? This is as quick as your gonna get, and probably the only one this quick that your gonna get...sorry... 

Bonus: Pre-view of the next chap!: (Sorry if this is mean too...but I can't help myself!!)

"What's wrong To~ru?" Momiji's voice was soft, and I slowly turned toward the little Rabbit. He had sat up and was rubbing his left eye, his head cocked slightly and eyes questioning's as to why I was crying.

I looked over toward the window and stared at him, my eyes big and leaking. He just shook his head and put a finger to his red lips. He then re-crossed his arms and leaned onto the wall, gazing out the window to the night. I turned back to Momiji, another tear falling down my cheek.

"Nothing." I said in a semi-shocked voice. My mind was still comprehending all my new knowledge, and things were just starting to catch up with me. I was not to let anyone know, and if Momiji couldn't see him, then I couldn't tell him. People are going to think I'm insane...

I felt my lip quiver as another tear fell from my eyes. I then buried my head into my hands and gathered my knees to my chest. I sobbed softly, feeling Momiji's eyes still on me. I was both relieved and saddened even more. And the emotions battled inside of me...

I had kept him, but...

...JA!! (I know, I know. WTF. Right? Stay tuned to the next chap and you'll find out!!)

~SAL-Chan 


	5. Ghost of a Year Ago

_I simply had been taken,_

_Without my own consent._

_And at once I had been chosen,_

_Given a chance to repent._

The day had been fine, autumn being my favorites season. The colors seemed to fit me more, brown's, orange's, red's, yellow's. I seemed to blend into it all, and it made me not stick out as much. My birthday was in autumn also, so it just made the season that much more flavorful for me.

_But my sins were not mine alone,_

_I shared them throughout time._

_From the beginning I guess I've had this sin,_

_It placed only on my kind... _

My mood was fine and my spirits had been high. I had been practicing all day out back in my own alcove, my body seeming to move without a thought. High kick followed by a quick left, round house with a jump kick, left hook and a back flip. Everything came to me like nothing had before, and I was in my own zone. Sweat covered my chest and my hair was tossed, mud griping onto my bare feet and calves - my hands as well. I felt more alive than I had in months, and everything seemed perfect.

_So I guess that I was special,_

_In some unknown way._

_Cause I was given just a simple gift,_

_One that had barley let me stay._

I had pulled down my last high kick when a request had been asked of me. I had felt myself slip out of my perfect zone to turn and answer, never refusing. The wind had swept around me, the chill not all that apparent. It was nice really, and I turned my back on the bleeding sunset and headed for home - my intent a shower and then to provide some simple company. Maybe simple wasn't the word, but it had fit into the sentence and explained what it would seem like. Simple was never the word with him, but it was always good to hope. Maybe I could get something out if it, the payment I was looking for, a small smile. It was the only thing I wanted...well, kinda... 

_The gift had been a second chance,_

_As strange as that may be._

_But then there were the consequences,_

_To loose a part of me..._

The ride had not been as bad as I thought it would have been, shorter that I thought actually. I had sat in the front, sitting there my only demand throughout the entire ride. Light chatter echoed around the car, the sound of the radio blending into the background of the young voices. I turned around to exchange a comment, then another, and suddenly I smiled. I had been thinking you see, about my life and why I continued to go on. For my family, and for her, but it was slowly become my life - one that I wanted to live. I was becoming happy...

_I didn't think to here it all,_

_Excepting right away._

_But I guess should have heard them out,_

_For now I waste away._

I didn't know what happened, and I still don't know now. Bits and pieces come back at times, but fade quicker than they register. Pain is always there, it has not gone away since that day. And now that I've had time to wallow in everything, I feel like I need to do something - or try to do something. All has failed so far, for I'm as still as alone as I have been for years now. My heart aches every minuet of my existence, and sometimes I wish that I hadn't made that request or agreed to their term. That I had left everything behind me and gone on to something grater, something that would accept me for who and what I was. But then again, when has that ever happened to me?... 

_For only those who know see me,_

_And not as someone I was._

_I had hoped that they all would see me,_

_But it seems like no one does._

I didn't think it would take something like this for the light to be turned on. That someone else had to be hurt, even though it was the Rat. I'm guessing that was my sign, that my time is slowly running out. But it's a heck of a way to show that, don't you think? But they have gotten their point across, and now I'm actually going to try harder than before. If I can do it, the prize will be worth anything I could ever imagine. Stranger things have happened, though it's gonna be kinda hard to say ' Hay! Look! Sorry bout before...' to those who came to see my grave. But then anything *could* happen...

_So now it's time to take a stand,_

_To come up front and fight!_

_I've come back to the living land,_

_Just to make them see the light._

This is _my family_ we are talking about. And I am the one who will make it happen, I just know it...

Strange Happening's

By SAL-Chan

*Part Five: Ghost of A Year Ago

**_"If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you: it's yours. And if not: it was never meant to be..."_**

~*~

On the other side a tan-ish neck craned forth from the top of the ripped black shirt. It then fed into a firm chin, over turned down lips, and to a slightly pointed nose. A pair of fuzzy red eyes that held no shine from the light's in the room seemed alive, yet dead and dull at the same time. Orange colored hair fell around his ears and eyes in a messy fashion, and continued to hover around like wind was pushing it back and forth. 

In a sweeping movement, the hand was waving over Yuki's face and was stuffed angrily into a pocket, then leaned back to recline slightly. Crossing his legs, he peered down at Yuki like he had done something wrong. 

There, right in front of me, hovering over his cousin's prone form, was the 2 years deceased - on this exact day,...

...Kyo Sohma... 

I watched as a GLOWING, **dead** Kyo Sohma hovered over his cousin. Dead being the key word... 

"_Kuso Nezumi_...don't you freakin' die on me here, ya understand?" The voice was so distant, but I could still find the seeker anywhere if I wanted. Though it was if the volume had been turned down, it was still the same rough, warm voice that I knew he had while alive. He looked the same as I had last seen him also, plain black shirt and his favorite pair of pants. There were differences though, easy to be seen from the outside too. Cuts and bruises lined his shakily outline body, and from what I could see his shirt sleeve on the right was torn completely off along with most of the cloth that would have covered that part of his chest. Gaping holes dotted his back as well as his arms, and they all still seemed to bleed...

He turned to his side and showed the rest of his face to me, eyes still glued on Yuki with his face set in a scowl. A deep gash covered his face from the corner and cut into his right lip, all the way to his right ear and cutting off a peace of his ear lobe too. The cut itself seemed to be sewn up, stitches still holding the un-healing skin together. His right shoulder and some of his arm were charred black, parts of his flesh still tan while other parts seemed to be scooped out to show all the blood vessels underneath. A hole sat in the middle of the blackness, and I was sure if it hadn't been stitched together that you could see thought it. A slow cat like grin spread across his face, the skin on either side of his cut moving more then normal. 

"Looks like you the baka now, _Nezumi._ I only hurt her for a minuet, but your torturing her compared to what I did, aren't cha?" He spoke with bitterns in his hollow voice, almost spiting on Yuki as he spoke. His light, dull eyes churned with emotion I couldn't feel nor read if I wanted to. Pain and hate I could see, but something else swirled around their dull red depths. 

And the entire time I stood there, my grasp on Yuki's hand dwindling down to nothing, simply staring at him. 

_ It was..._

_ It was Kyo._

_ Kyo, the boy who had died 2 years ago today in a car crash._

_ Kyo, the boy who was turning 17, who died trying to save the sweet Rabbits life - who lived._

_ And now, that burning last image of him flooded my minds eye. Blood, pain, and a sweet goodbye. Now he was... here...and I..._

Everything started to fade slowly, the room around me becoming fuzzy and the image of Kyo unidentifiable, and slowly the rest of the room followed. The blackness of my eye lids engulfed my eyes as feeling faded from my body, and the sadden urge to throw up everything I had for lunch was replaced by the feeling of nothing. The warmth of Yuki's dropped hand left my own, and I felt like I was floating -falling.

The last thing I remember was the click of the door as it opened. I felt my head hit the cold tile of the floor.

"_Tohru_!" His empty voice echoed within me, something cold passing through my shoulder...

"Tohru!" A totally different voice echoed around me, bouncing off the walls. I couldn't place my finger on who it was, but it reminded me of Hatori.

And then I was lost, unconsciousness steeling me from the reality I was confusing with a dream. 

~*~

"_To-ru..._"

"Th-ru?"

"Momiji, let her sleep. She needs it."

"But what happened? Why did she faint like that all of the sudden? It not like To-ru at all."

"I know. Let her rest now and we'll ask her later if she feels better. She has had a long day..."

I opened my eyes slightly and found myself lying on a bed, staring up at a totally different gray ceiling. My head was pounding and my brain still felt fuzzy, making my thoughts move sluggishly. The last image I saw still hadn't left my memory and burned brightly.

"TO-RU!!!!" 

I smiled slightly as the blonde's head popped into my view, his eyes dancing with happiness and worry. It was nice to see, his eyes happy again. It's quite a nice thing to see...

"Momiji..." I mumbled and smiles slightly, the fuzziness still in my brain. He smiled back with all the effort he could muster. He looked tired. What time was it?

"You were tired, right?" The small blond inquired, resting his head on the palm of his hand. He put his elbow on the bed and leaned towards me slightly. I nodded, my brain still working in over drive to remember what happened.

_Yuki, crying, Kyo, translucent, glowing, dead...yea, that's about it._

"Feeling better?" He asked again and I closed my eyes again. They still felt dry from all the crying I had done before, and I still felt tired. My body was totally drained. 

"Yes, a little." I responded with a slightly raspy voice, and I coughed slightly. But as soon as I let myself rest, the picture of Yuki lying there looking as if he was dead filled in the blackness behind my eyelids. My eyes snapped open and I pushed myself onto my elbows, getting a better view or the rest of the room. The only difference was that instead of it being completely empty, I had 2 other people in here as well. 

The white part of his hair was matted down more now, some parts sticking to his brow. The black part was draped over his left shoulder were he was combing his fingers through it, his other hand holding his side. His leg were crossed with his left foot in the air, and his level eyes were stuck to me. It was weird seeing Haru without Kisa attached to his side when we weren't in school, but he was grading Momiji now so at lease one of the them was safe in his eyes. My guess was that Hiro was with her now... 

"What happened?" The Cow's voice was softer then normal and concerned in a way. His eyes were softer too, strangely friendly. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"Nothing... I guess I just worried myself out."

_ That and I'm seeing dead people..._

"Well sleep more then!" The Bunny chirped brightly, grabbing my hand. "I'll be right here in case you need anything."

I smiled at him and laid down again, not content on closing my eyes. I didn't want to see the past any more, just wait for the future. That's all I could do... 

"I'm going to check on Yuki." Haru's voice wavered slightly when he stated that, breaking the unique silence that seemed to follow me around. I heard his chair move and I watched as the white topped head float to the door and out of the room. The Rabbit had turned to watch him go, but then turned back to me with a small, sad smile on his face.

"Haru's still worried about Yuki. He hasn't woken up yet, but nothing happened. Hari sent him in here to sleep, but he didn't even try." Momiji told me, rubbing my hand in a soothing manor. His smile faded and he moved his eyes from mine to our joined hands.

"I'm pretty sure he'll faint soon too." He added in a melancholy voice. 

I sighed softly as he put his head down next to mine, cuddling up to me as close he could. It was quiet for a few minuets as I stared up at the new white ceiling, scared to close my eyes. But everything was slowly become comfortable, and I felt myself relax. I let my eyes drift closed and made sure I though of nothing. I knew noting for a long time, maybe a an hour or two. 

That was until cold crept up the left side of my body quicker than cold should. But before I had a chance to open my eyes, I felt something brush the hair on my forehead away and place a freezing cold hand on it, stopping all my movements and thoughts. And suddenly it was gone just as fast as it had come, instantly.

My eyes flew open, pupils dilated as I searched the room. My head snapped to the left, where the cold had come and gone and found nothing but the white sterile room. The window was open slightly to reveal the sky that was clouded, and rain fell from the sky at an amazing pace. The fear I had felt before rose in my chest once again and gripped onto my heart. 

A slight snore from my right made me turn my head. Momiji's brilliant eyes were closed, his face relaxed in sleep. Goose bumps immediately trailed up my arm, the cold reaching out for me once again, just like it had in Yuki's room before. It reached out for me and I turned my head to it without a thought. I shivered as another chill ran up my spine.

Then it started to happen again.

I watched awestruck as a blanket for the other bead was lifted up by something unseen. It was pulled off the bed and hovered above it for a moment, and was then dragged across the room in a flash and draped itself over Momiji's small shoulder. The cold quickly moved from my left to my right. 

"You should really get some more sleep and stuff. It aint to good for you to still be awake."

I was prepared for the hollow voice this time, but I was still scared slightly. The cold wind picked up in the room quickly and it seemed to form a small tornado of slightly sparkling air. It twisted around and slowly formed into the top of an orange head and down over his face, then into his chest and to his bare feet. His blank eyes stared into my sole, one eyebrow up slightly. 

I sat up quickly, eyes as wide as saucers. He shook his head and turned toward the window and started to walk toward it. 

"Kyo..." I sounded like a frog, but never the less he turned around and stared at me, his expression almost matching mine. His light red eyes widened slightly, and his mouth hung open for a moment.

"You...you can see me?!" He stammered, surprise emanating from his soft voice as he pointed to himself. All I did was stare at him as he moved across the room to the side of my bed that Momiji was on. My eyes followed him the entire way.

"Well would you look at that. Ya can see me..." He said it softly to himself, a slight grin captivating his pale face. And still I didn't say anything, my brain humming from fear and shock. 

"You're here..." I murmured, my hand traveling up to cover my mouth. Fear was creeping up my spine, and my hand was shaking slightly. I couldn't understand what was happening, and if this was real or not.

"Yep. I've been here for a bit now." His voice wavered as his grin grew slightly. This couldn't be happening! It's impossible for him to be here! Kyo was dead! 

"But...how...what.." I wasn't thinking, hysteria now creeping up on me instead of fear. I was talking to Kyo, who was dead. I couldn't understand it. 

"The what is easy to explain." His grin faded as he glanced down at Momiji, then back up at me. "I'm a ghost."

"A...a _ghost_..." I couldn't grasp it, I could believe it if I tried. I had always believed in an after life, of heaven and hell. But it just seemed like this was unreal, that I was lost within a dream or some weird hallucination. That my mind was playing with me and all I needed to do was close my eyes and I would wake up next to Yuki's bed, who would smile at me as say he was ok.

"Yea, a ghost." He repeated, pulling up both arms and crossing his hands on the back of his head. "And yea, I'm really here." 

I closed my eyes and laid back down, waited a moment or two before opening my eyes again. He was still standing there, blinking at me.

"I aint gonna go away by you doin' that." He stated, a slight grin tugging at the corner of his lips. The unhealed skin on his cheek twitched.

"How I got here is another story altogether." He unhooked his hands from behind his head and shoved them into his pockets, switching his weight to his other hip. "And a long one at that."

And all I did was stare, mouth hanging open slightly.

"Quit lookin' at me like that. We both know you have seen stranger things then a ghost. Geez, how long have you know my family?..." He pulled a hand from his pocked and pushed it through his hair, eyes moving from me to the window. It continued to rain.

And when he said that, my brain kicked into gear. I slightly started to accept the fact that I might be going insane.

"So your really here?" I formed a question and said it apprehensively, the insane factor I had in my head became very likely. _I'm talking to my imagination_ I thought.

"In the flesh and...ok maybe not. But I am here, in a sense...I guess...It's kinda confusing..." He scratched the back of his head and shifted his weight onto his other hip again, looking at the floor. 

"But...how could you be here. Your dead..." I mumbled to myself loud enough for him to here. I was slightly grasping the fact that he was a ghost, but the insanity factor was still high on the list.

"Yea, and I'm cold to." He took his other hand out of his pocked and rubbed both his arms, in an attempt to warm himself. A slight smile found itself on my face. I was quite close to claiming insanity or hysteria. I was talking to a dead boy who was making jokes about being cold, how bad could you get?_ But,_ I reminded myself, _The majority of his family that I know turns into animals..._

There was a minuet of quiet before I heard him sigh. 

"Listen," His voice was sad and soft, two things I had never heard from him together. "I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. I'm gettin' a second chance at a semi-life and I need all the help I can get."

I watched as Kyo suck his palm out toward the chair Haru had occupied before, and it skidded across the floor toward him. He sat in it, and for a minuet a part of me wondered if ghost could sit in chairs or not. Another part wondered if I had totally cracked yet...

"What...are you talking about?" Well I was at least trying to grasp the conversation, the feeling if insanity dissipating as I realized that there were stranger things out there than this, and I happened to be involved with one that was one of the weirdest. After all, people who turn into animals didn't seem to far away from real ghost's. And that chair did just move to him...

"I'll try to explain. I know it seems kinda crazy that I'm here and all, but I'm here for a reason that I really don't totally understand myself." After I gave him a questioning look he continued, putting his head down to rest on his hand that was propped up on his knee. "I made a promise, well... it was a agreement really. They said that if I could accomplish a 'task', I would get something I wanted more than anything back."

"A task?" Ok, I was starting to understand. He was sent back as a ghost to do something...I suddenly fought the urge to giggle at myself. This sounded so unreal that it was almost funny. 

He sighed and sat back, frowning. 

"It's kinda hard to say..." I watched him think for a minuet before his dull eyes peered into mine again. "Do you believe in a second chance?"

I blinked for a second, wondering where this question came from.

"Well..." I started, in the back of my mind wondering how I was suddenly so calm after I felt insanity creeping up on me just a minuet ago. 

"...I do believe in second chances, and ghosts too." I finally said, convincing myself that he really was here. I did believe in second chances, quite strongly too. And if I could believe in that, I could believe that Kyo was really here. 

"Well, that's what I got." He stated, leaning back on the chair enough to make it tilt back so that he would almost fall. His hair was being pushed up by that imagery fan underneath him once again and even without his feet touching the ground the chair balanced on it's two back legs. 

"They said that it was because of the cures and-" He nodded his head in Momiji's direction. "-Cause I saved his sorry butt."

"Oh..." I nodded my head and looked down at the sleeping Bunny, his face peaceful and calm. I knew it wasn't right to ask this, but the question had bubbled up inside of me and had bugged me for a wile now. I had asked it before but everyone refused to tell me. The only other people who really knew were two traumatized to say anything, and I wanted to know. 

"Kyo..." I said softly, my eye's slowly coming to meet his. He simply coked a eyebrow at me, and I remember so many other time when he had done that to signal a '_Yes?_'. 

"I wanted to know, because no one really told me, but..." I looked him straight in the eye for the fist time during -what I have dubbed- the 'First Contact'. 

"...What really happened?"

I heard my voice echo through the suddenly silent room. I watched as surprise erupted onto his face, followed slowly by something very dark. That was not a question he had expected.

"No one told you?" He asked in a darker voice, but understanding slowly crept into his eyes. "No one **wanted **to tell you..."

I nodded and he shook his head slightly.

"I really didn't want to talk about that..." He said slowly and the wind around him seemed to pick up and he levitate off the ground, the chair's legs hitting the floor with a solid 'Thunk'. He...well he flew toward the window and set himself down, the wind moving his hair stopping. 

"Please." I begged slightly, my eyes pleading. "I want to know." 

He was quiet for another moment, his eyes gazing at something far away out the window.

"You asked me to do something that day. Do you remember it?" He looked toward me, face set in a grim line and eyes darker than their lighter shade a few minuets before. I shook my head. I remembered nothing of the day except watching him...except watching him die. 

"You had asked me to go with Hatori to pick up Kisa and Momiji." He spoke to the world outside the window, his eyes drifting closed as he leaned agents the window sill. "You asked me to pick up a few things for tomorrow on the way, when everybody was coming over."

It then came back in a rush.

I remember I * had* went out to ask Kyo to go out with Hatori and pick up Kisa and Momiji, while we were getting ready... 

I gasped. 

We were planning Kyo's surprise 17th birthday party.

His birthday was on the 14th of October. 

My hand travel to my face as my eyes watered again. He sighed and let more of his body rest against the sill. He suddenly looked so sad, so alone... 

"I remember that it had been weird, and I don't even know why I went. But you asked me to so I just did." His soul-less eyes rotated in his skull to look at me, the fuzzy depth's seeming alive once again.

"It happened on the way home..."

~*~

"How's Tohru?"

I looked to my direct left finding Shigure standing next to the door. Momiji's voice carried though the door, it's happy tune fading into something I wished not to hear. I started to walk away from the room toward Yuki's, trying to give him the cold shoulder.

"She's awake and fine." I said shortly, not letting my voice sound as tired as I felt. I really didn't want to be near anyone who could get into my head, or who could see past my mental blocks. But he followed still.

"You didn't even try to sleep, did you?" His voice was low as we rounded the corner, his shoulder brushing mine. His legs were still longer then mind after all, so he kept up. 

"So what if I didn't?" My voice had a sharp edge to it, and I felt what everyone called my 'Black' personality creeping up on me. We had stopped at Yuki's room and I pulled the door open and walked in, knowing fully well that the Dog would follow me. So what if I was irritated, I did have a right to be. 

I took the seat Tohru had been sitting in before as I heard Shigure close the door behind him. I heard his foot steps come closer and closer to me until I fell him stop behind me. He stood in quiet there and just hovered slightly while I continued to stare at my half dead cousin.

"You're not going to be the only one this time Shigure." I said, an irritated edge in my voice. I wasn't sure who I was irritated at: Him or myself. 

"The only one what?" His voice was low, almost a whisper, but still held his strong spirit within it. I felt something coli within me.

"Who doesn't give in. I'm not...I'm **not** going to." My voice had started to clog, and I had started to stutter. The coil became tighter and tighter, and my vision start to blur. The steady beeping in the room and the strange sounds the machine's were making were the only noises in the room for a moment.

"Just because you didn't see me cry doesn't mean I didn't." His voice was softer than anything I had heard from anyone in a long time, willing to listen and be leaned on. I felt the coli snap as a tear fell from my eye, but I refused to make a noise. Shigure's hands sat on my shoulder and rubbed slightly in a comforting motion.

"I know it's hard being strong Haru..." He continued as another tear fell from my other eye. "But some of us need to be." 

I knew he was right. I knew that I was one of the few of the cursed Sohma's that were strong enough to take things like this, but - I realized- that I was scared. We had almost lost another one of us. Someone else close to me...

And before I knew it I was sobbing into his white dress shirt, small noises coming for me. His arms were wrapped around me in a fatherly embrace that I wish I had when I was little, and I felt safe. My family is here, I reminded myself. Everything is going to be ok... I was needed.

That's right, I reminded myself. I was needed of something else now too. I needed to help... cause I think that I am the only one so far who knows...and he did ask me...though reluctant in his stubborn way...he was trying to be strong as well... 

And that's when I realized that even those who are ** strong** can be week at times, and the stronger they seemed, the weaker they really were inside. 

Ayame was strong, yet as soon as the news had came he had cracked and broken down. Hatori was strong, but I could tell he was out of it back in the lobby, his pacing giving him away. I was strong, but I had cracked when told that I was not weak if I cried. 

And Shigure had never cried in front of any other Sohma, and he was the calmest at any time or situation. Always the level headed front man that I had know him to be from when I was little. I wouldn't even imagine what his weak time would be like... 

~*~

She sat quivering next to me, her head on my shoulder and her hands grasping onto my white shirt. He knees were curled up under her, he brown skirt covering them slightly.

And she cried, shaking with small sobs. It was quiet now, the small room almost empty save me, her, and the Snake who sat across from us. Everyone else had scattered somewhere after Akito's entrance, leaving the three of us alone for quite a while. Hatori had come to give the Snake a cup of coffee or something a little while ago, but he was nowhere to be seen now. 

And the entire time she cried softly onto my solder, and I was starting to feel the dampness of her tears touch my skin. In the back of my mind I wondered how she, or any girl, could cry this much.

It hurt me too. Sure I didn't have much contact with the Rat, but I still considered him one of my better relatives. Though what hurt the most was the fact that she was reminded of a year ago on this day. 

_Curse that stupid Cat. Even after his death he still stalked around this family like the creature he was, causing pain in his wake. He was hurting her now..._

"Hiro..." Her small voice cried, and I looked down to find her looking up at me. I blinked.

"Yea?" I asked her in a kinder voice then I ever gave anyone else the satisfaction of hearing.

"It's ok Hiro. Everything's going to be ok." She reassured me, puling me into a small hug. She buried her head into my shoulder again and continued to cry. 

I hadn't even realized that I, myself, was crying as well...

~*~

_ ~My hair was still just drying after we pulled out of the main houses small parking area. The radio was playing some stupid song that had been played more times then I cared to count. It was some love song or something, but I really didn't care. I was gazing out the window in my own little world, a small smile on my face. _

_ "So what do you want for your birthday?" His high voice resounded through the car and over the music, a smile carried within that sound. I sighed and turned my head to the back seat, meeting the small ball of energy's eyes._

_ "A **car**." I said gruffly, the answer coming out as a bark rather than words._

_ "Your not getting a car." Hatori's strong voice made me look up at him. His eyes were set toward the road stretched out in fount of him. We were taking the back road, the longer one then the high main roads but nicer since we didn't have to look at concrete the entire way. The trees were almost bare now, they remind me why this was my favorite time of year._

_ "Why not? I know how to drive." I stated, it coming out more of a whine then anything else. Hard to believe I was turning 17._

_ "I would be scared if you drove a car." Momiji's voice was innocent, but the under tow of it hit me. I turned back to the back set to glare at him._

_ "Kyo-nii-san is a very good driver." Kisa soft voice was barely heard over the radio, but her smile was loud enough to get her message across. Momiji slid over next to her -the Rabbit a custom to not wearing his set belt, a habit he probably picked up from me- and elbowed her slightly. _

_ "Sure he was good. He _was_ good until he hit the street lamp." Momiji's voice was choked with amusement, and as soon as he finished he let a laugh out. The car was soon full of the duo's high laughter from the back and a low one from Hatori. I glared at him now._

_ "So what if I hit the pole! At least I didn't almost hit a person like that Rat!" I shouted back, and the car was soon full of all our laughter. _

_ I smiled, still staring at the two younger Sohma's cracking up in the back. I really enjoyed my life a lot more now, but I guess it was because I was getting older. And the fact that I had a full day of practice and had almost hit that stupid Rat about a week ago, it made everything that much better. And I was turning 17, witch is a bonus of course._

_ Thinking about that brought me back to yesterday. That stupid Rat wasn't holding out on me anymore. I guess I scared him by hitting his side, but kuto's for me. I was getting better, it was taking two high kicks to get me down and not just one anymore. _

_ Somehow I had slid in between the two seats in the front and was sitting on the arm rest. We had done weirder things in the car, a trip to the hot springs with most of the Sohma's -namely myself, the Rat, the Dog, the Rabbit, Hatori, the Cow, Kisa, and Tohru- somehow fitting in the car. It was normal. I opened my mouth to make a comment about how Momiji's driving ability's were going to be, but-_

_ "**KYO**!"_

_ My name was yelled and before I even had time to register who had called me, I had spun around to face the front of the car and saw it._

_ An oncoming car._

_ For a split second everything seemed to stop and I saw him, the guy in the other car. Then time started up quicker that I would have ever thought possible. _

_ My body had moved without me thinking, my legs pushing me toward the back seat and my arms opening. The sound of bending metal hit my ears a second before I felt everything stop underneath me and a body collided into my chest. The roaring sound of twisting metal behind me only lasted a second as my arms managed to wrap around Momiji's smaller body, his head connecting to my left shoulder and his face tuned to the left in a snap -like mine. _

_ A moment later I felt a stabbing pain attack my back as the sound of shattering glass concaved around me. I heard the sound of something cutting through the air when the said something -a peace of glass or metal- speared my ear and my cheek, the Rabbit in my arms crying out as well in pain. My head was snapped forward as I felt my back hit the dash behind me, a sick cracking sound hitting my ears. I faintly heard Kisa small cry or pain and some type of noise off to my right were Hatori was, but his was barley heard. _

_ A searing pain engulfed my right shoulder, and I was faintly reminded of a time when I had dropped a pot of water from the stove on the counter and burnt my hand. It felt like fire was on my skin now, searing hot and agonizingly painful. Then a second later something found it's way through skin, muscle, bone, and a piece of _something _searing hot sticking through my shoulder. I remember tighten my arms around the smaller boy, pin pricks of pain dotting the back of my arms as well as my back and my neck. _

_ All I did was protect him, disregarding my mind which was screaming at me in pain and agony that I could have avoided all this pain if I had only moved. I could have dropped back into the passenger seat and gotten out, it told me, but I really don't remember thinking at all at that point. _

_ And suddenly we were outside of the car, in the cold night air laying on the black pavement. My body was numb, my brain overloaded with pain that no one who had never gone through it could imagine. I was still holding on to him slightly, my hands cramping and locking onto his small shoulder. I heard something burning in the distance, something like fire, and I heard the crickets that had started up again. I could smell the night combined with the blood, the burning of flue distant. _

_ The night sky was clear, and on the road there was a street lamp every once in a while. It was black enough for me to see the stars tough, they seemed to twinkle down at me with pity, the lamp light just barley reaching me _

_ And I felt it._

_ I felt liquid seeping out of my skin, I felt the cold gnawing at my hands. My feet and legs were cold already, numb from the time my back hit the dash with a snap. My head was strangely clear, blocking out all of the pain the best I could. The tang of mettle was in my mouth, but I'm not quite sure if I swallowed or not. _

_ But I felt it creeping up on me. _

I felt death.

_ Somehow I had turned my head to the side, to the cheek that was not ripped apart, and my eyes landed on a small bag. Kisa's bag._

_ The strap was ripped, and the flap was open, revealing her blue Christmas present from last year: a cell phone._

_ My hand unlocked from Momiji's shoulder and I reached for it, my left arm covered with blood. I stared at it for a minuet, my brain slowly becoming tired, wondering who's blood it was. And still I reached for the phone and grabbed it, the small piece of plastic just barley in reach. I had dropped my arm as my hand grabbed it so that the abused limp could rest on the ground, my finger's dialing a number I never though I would have to use. I then hit the 'Send' button and dropped the phone, hoping that they would be able to use that On Star thing or some type of tracking device and find us. I felt so tired..._

_ My name was moaned from the boy on top of me, his body starting to shiver. I felt my right hand relax against my will and it slowly slid off his shoulder till my elbow hit the pavement, my hand barely grasping his arm._

_ "It's going to be ok." I managed to say, blood leaking from my mouth. I coughed, a ripping sensation flowing through my chest. My brain was starting to calculated my survival chances. I would be paralyzed...I realized this when I could not feel my legs when I tried. I would probably have to go through some major plastic surgery for what ever happened to my face, and my arm was totally wasted. I realized then what was going to happen._

I was not going to see my 17th birthday.

_ "Momiji," I managed to say, swallowing the rest of the blood in my mouth, almost letting out a grown when I did so. I heard the phone talk to me but I couldn't respond. I needed a will if I was going to die, and though I hated to do it, he was going to have to be it._

_ "I want you to keep my stuff in my ro-" I coughed again as I heard someone call my name from a few feet away. I ignored it. "-room. They can get rid of what they don't need, but keep some stuff. Give Tohru my b-bracelet and tell-" I coughed again, the pain of my shoulder weakening and my thought become fuzzy. "-Tell Kazuma to let her keep if for now..."_

_ "Stop talking like that." His voice was soft, clogged with tears and pain. "You not going_ anywhere_!"_

_ "I know." I murmured. My body was so tired, my brain buzzing with a sensation I had never felt before. It was calming yet horrifying at the same time. I then realized that I wasn't scared to die. _

_ "_No_ Kyo!" He pushed his head off of me, my hand slipping off of him and hitting the pavement louder that I thought it could, the limb limp and charred._

_ "You're not_** leaving**_! You can't _** leave **_us!" He choked out and I watched and his tears mixed with the blood what was dripping from the deep gash in his cheek. Blood was smeared all over his face an I vaguely wondered who's it was again: His or mine... _

_ "**You're my favorite Kyo!**" He was shouting at me now, hysterical in a sense. He knew as well as I did that I wasn't waking up tomorrow. "**You're like a big brother to me! You can't leave me alone!**" _

_ He collapsed onto my chest then and cried, his arms wrapping around my waist. I barley felt it though, my head spinning and feeling fading. I slowly started to close my eyes..._

_ 'You're giving up?'_ _Kazuma's voice spoke for the back of my head, and my eyes snapped open again. He would say that to me..._

Not without a fight _I thought, struggling to clear my head and stay alive. I felt unconsciousness griping at my brain, dragging me down. _

_ "I'm not leaving you alone..." I mumbled, my eyes trying to shut. I felt so tired, and all my body wanted to do was sleep. "I'll always be here."_

_ He continued to cry into my chest for another minuet, and I struggled to think of anything to keep me awake. _

_ I _can't die yet,_ I thought. _I haven't beaten Yuki...I haven't said thank you to Kazuma for everything, I haven't been accepted yet, I haven't told her...I haven't told her that I love her yet_. I fought with all I had, wanting to fight away what I knew was coming._

_ "Momiji! Kyo!" _

Thank you_ I thought, looking toward the sky. Hatori was alive, but what about Kisa..._

_ He bent over me, his figure become clearer when he leaned closer. His arm was managed and bleeding, a cut on the side of his head dripping slightly. I was never so happy in my life to see the doctor before._

_ "Kyo, can you here me?" He asked and I suddenly realized that it wasn't Hatori that hovered above me, and that I could no longer feel Momiji's arms around my waist. Some woman with short brown hair was now, her face worried. Bright lights hovered above her and illuminated her, making her look like a angel. _

_ I nodded slightly, the pain in my neck growing. I closed my eyes as I felt her brush the hair away from my face, her hand cold and sturdy._

_ "Kyo, keep you eyes open for me." She said, someone's hand slipping into mine. I managed to pull my eye lids open slightly, suddenly seeing Tohru instead of this nameless woman. A overwhelming fear creped over me, and I was suddenly glad that I was holding someone's hand. _

_ "Momiji...Kisa..." I croaked out their names, praying to the God I suddenly believed in. The woman looked away from me for a minuet, then turned back to me._

_ "You friends are following us. Where going to the Hospital. You going to be ok...Do you know what today is?" She asked, brushing my hair away from my face again. I refused to laugh at her statement, cause I was anything but ok... _

_ "It's the 13th of October." I said, feeling my voice shake. "My birthday's tomorrow." _

_ I watched her face as it was filled with pity, then a small smile formed on it. _

_ "How old are you going to be?" She asked me, voice becoming quiet. I tried to smirk back at her. I gave her a 10 for trying...._

_ "I was going to be 17." I said, causing any other noise in...where ever we were to stop. A look of sadness etched itself onto her face, but she tried to cover it._

_ "Tell me," I asked, feeling something rumble in my chest. It hurt... "Am I going to die?"_

_ She just turned away and started to do something with some unknown next to her, and I knew the answer._

_ "_Kyo_!" Again I had been caught off guard by a familiar voice calling my name. We were moving this time, the white lights flashing by at a quick pace that was agonizing to watch. But his golden eyes were there, along with his white hair. Ayame...I had never felt so relieved to see him before._

_ "Ayam...I..." I couldn't form words, the pain in my chest increasing. It hurt to breath, and it hurt any time my heart beat. If Ayame was here...I suddenly made a vow to myself. I wasn't going to die without saying goodbye to her._

_"_Kyo_-" Yuki's voice echoed in my head, and I realized that it was the first time I ever heard him say it without anything behind it. I spotted Shigure behind him, and then my vision blacked out. _

_ The last thing I can remember while my heart still beat with my will was her eyes. I remember her entwining her hand with mine, and the slight smile she had on her face. I remember how she reached up and brushed some of my bangs away for my eyes, and had smiled at me, only at me. _

God, she truly was a angel.

_ "See ya...Be safe." I said it to her softly, expressing everything I could in that last statement. I had done it. I had left a semi-will with Momiji, seen Tohru smile only for me, and I had said my goodbye. I felt my eyes shutter closed, knowing fully well that she had just made it on time. I wasn't sure if I could have held on any longer..._

She had come in time to take me away...thank anything for Tohru... 

_ I felt my self sinking, slowly falling into darkness that relieved the pain. I felt things inside of me shutting down, my brain ceasing in it's hum. I felt my will diminish as I saw my life before my eyes -in a sense, the coldness in the beginning being outweighed by the happiness in the end. _

_ Knowing fully well that I once had a lot laid out in front of me, but knowing I could do nothing else, I slowly let my heart stop to rest._

_ And then, I knew nothing.~ _

~*~

"And after that some really weird things happened, and I agreed to the terms set by...who ever that was." Kyo finished, his eyes dark as he gazed outside through the rain. The sky was dark and ominous, reflecting all that stewed and swam around his eyes. 

The entire time I had sat there, staring at him like I had never seen him before in my entire life. Half way through the story I had started to wish that I had not asked him as tears began to fall from my eyes. And by the end I had started weeping, my hands covering my mouth and tears falling for my eyes quicker then they had before. 

And I believed him. I believed every word he said, every facial expression, every change in his tone, ever shift in position. 

_ This was really Kyo..._

"You have to promise me something now." He said, braking me from my thoughts. I looked up at him through bleary eyes, wondering what he would ask of me. I still couldn't comprehend what he had been through, and the insanity factory had slipped into my list of what could be happening again.

He turned his gaze to meet mine, his eyes dead set and his face stern. And suddenly I saw him alive and well, his outline soiled and his skin tan, his eyes light and his hair matted down. I saw the Kyo he had been. 

"You can not tell anyone that you can see me."

His sentence hand made me hunch over and cry out softly. I felt my world tremble, and hysteria quickly took over the insanity factor. How would I live like that?! If I wasn't allowed to say anything about him being here...

"Why?" I choked out, raising my head up enough to see him. He hadn't moved, his eyes traveling to look out the window again. A look of pain had itself etched on his face, and he sighed.

"My task thing...I have to make everyone accept loss and have the ability to move on, or something fancy like that." He sighed and dropped his arms, looking over at me again. " I have to wait for them to accept it before I can get what ever the prize is."

"Then how-"

"-Can you see me?" He cut in, my breath hiccupping. He pushed another hand through his hair and sighed again. "That's an easy one."

"Back in the other room, where the damn Rat is, you said that you couldn't stand to loose _both _of us..." He looked away from me, something in his eyes darkening, a frown coming to his face. "In some way you accepted that I had died - truthfully and fully accepted- and now you can see me. Not much of a improvement but..." 

"By accepting it, ya get me back." He stated, turning to me with a sideways smile. 

By letting go I got him back....

By experiencing all that pain of his loss and letting him move on from my life, I got him back... 

I let out another small cry, the only other sound in the room the rain that fell outside. He let me sob for a wile, understand fully why I needed to, even when I didn't. I just felt like I needed to cry, for myself, for Yuki, for him, for anyone. It wasn't until later that I realized how much anything like that would truly hurt me, and that's why I cried. I was pre-expecting the pain... 

"I'm sorry..." He said quietly, sounding guilty and hurt. I looked up to him, shaking my head. _It's not your fault,_ I though. _Don't be sorry Kyo! It wasn't your fault! It's not!_

"Promise me, Tohru. Promise you wont say anything. I need you to promise. Only those who can see me have accepted my death, and we need to wait for whoever can't. I'm going to need your help now, cause I think you're the only other person who can get everyone else to accept it..." He trailed off, eyes moving from me -who had started to cry viciously again- to my side. 

"What's wrong To~ru?" Momiji's voice was soft, and I slowly turned toward the little Rabbit. He had sat up and was rubbing his left eye, his head cocked slightly and eyes questioning's as to why I was crying again. I hadn't even noticed that he sat up, let alone woken up. And he hadn't noticed Kyo either... 

I looked over toward the window and stared at him, my eyes big and leaking salt water like never before. He just shook his head and put a finger to his red lips. He then re-crossed his arms and leaned onto the wall, gazing out the window to the stormy night. I turned back to Momiji, another tear falling down my cheek.

"Nothing." I said in a semi-shocked voice. My mind was still comprehending all my new knowledge, and things were still just starting to catch up with me. I then fully realized was not to let anyone know, and if Momiji couldn't see him, then I couldn't tell him. People are going to think I'm insane...talking to him around others.

I felt my lip quiver as another tear fell from my eyes. I then buried my head into my hands and gathered my knees to my chest. I sobbed softly, feeling Momiji's eyes still on me. I was both relieved and saddened even more. And the emotions battled inside of me...

I had kept him, but I couldn't share him with anyone. Though it seemed like some people needed him more than I did, I was suddenly struck with the feeling that I was being selfish. I had wanted him back, but I had wanted him back so everyone would be happy again.

I lifted my head up again, towards him, and nodded a yes. 

"I promise." I said, nodding my head again. If what he says was true, and if everyone could just accept him being de..dead, then they could all see him again. Then everyone would be happy again. 

At least...that's what I hope... 

~8~

I sat, staring sleepily out on of the windows. I sighed to myself, the quiet of the house nice enough to get once an a while. Everyone had left, leaving me home alone. It was fine enough though, I would much rather lie here and listen to the rain.

I had known before anyone else, which would be tough. I was -after all- here to watch and report. I had followed him around this lovely house and actually found myself coming to like it here. The people here are really something.

I sighed and turned my head away from the window, shutting my eyes. 

_ I guess their one year warning got through to him after all..._ I thought, sighing slightly.

_Things were going to get very interesting, very quickly. _

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ranting: My longest chapter yet!! You guy's have no idea how long this took...and it doesn't help that I'm home sick right now. ~Sneeze!~...oy...stupid cold. I can't breath through my nose! Plus I've been working my but off, did I ever mention that I don't like school? Cause I don't! The only class I like this year is S.S./Global, and I have that 8th. I have to go the rest of the stupid day to get to my favorite class...

Today, while I stayed home, I realized where my inspiration came from. Do you guy's know The song 'Someday' by Nickelback? Well I was watching their music video (somehow. I was half out of it from my NiQuil and DayQuil mixing) and I remembered that I was watching that when I started this. 

Anyway, ...

Well...there ya go... so we all know what happened to him now. But even so, he may have answered the question of how he died, but *now* what is he talking about? What is the task he has to do really? And what is that prize going to be? Most of all, how is the fact that she can see him but everyone (or whoever you think) can't? That's gotta effect her somehow. Well who do you think can? And what was that at the end of the chapter? Or, who was that? 

Favorite line: And then I was lost, unconsciousness steeling me from the reality I was confusing with a dream.

Favorite Character of the Chapter: Shigure win's once again. Kyo's a close second.

I think we saw something from Shigure that we normally don't. In his conversation with Haru I mean. And Most of the middle of this had Kyo in it, and he explains things quite well... 

To tell ya the truth, I was waiting for Kyo to come back. I relate a lot to him, plus his speech is easer to write then everyone else. I guess I kinda speak like him too. My accent and bad English grammar helps too...(I'm from New York! Waddya want?!)

Moving along...

*Merei-chan: Thanks. How bout this chapter? I know it's a bit long, but I did say that I would tell you guy's how he died. I really was planing on doing it a little later in the story, but with a few quick plot twists for my best friend (Naf-Chan) And my own concoction, there's plenty more ahead. So keep reading! (PS: How are you the first person to read all the time? For the past few you have been...just wondering. It's cool and all...)

*Misaki: YAY! You came back!! ^-^ Well now you know. Stupid long chapter...It has been stressing me out for the past week and a half. My creative spirit isn't what it was. (PS: No prob. I liked it!)

*Asaya (Unami: ~Blushes~ thank you, but I'm not that good. I know people better than me. I was trying to make them sad and not so mournful, but at least the point has gotten across. Don't be sad and depressed though...that's my job ^-^. I'm sorry that I almost made you cry, but I guess it did get my point across. I'm your favorite?!?! OOOO THANK YOU!!!!!^-^

* Chunxirella: Esh, Esh, Esh!! Yay! You...read the first chapter...and just the first chapter...but THAT'S OK!!!!! Lol tricked you^-^ LOL, please read again!...

*yamatoforever: Well I think the chapter explains most of your question. Did I mention that your really, really good at figuring this out. Oy...I think this chapter might have given you just a bit more q's, ne? 

*Kimna: SO'K!! It's ok! Don't freak out!! Yep, yep that is Kyo, alive and well...well not really. Does that answer your question...

*Kath: I'm sorry! I made you cry!! I didn't know it would move you like that...I'm so sorry!!!...Thank you anyway...and welcome back ^-^. 

And sorry guy's. No bonus this time. I'm pooped. I need a nap...

And BTW, for all those idiots who actually think I own this, I don't. The only thing that (I think) is mine is the plot! So back off!! ~humph~ 

P.S. To readers: Have you guy's noticed the quotes I've been using in the beginning of ever chapter. They tell you things too...~wink~

~SAL-Chan


	6. Awaking

That morning was washed away and drowned in the freezing rain. Gray clouds covered the sky, blocking the sun and hazing the day. The rain itself was pounding the ground without mercy, mud griping to the bottom of people's shoes. And in a certain yard behind a special house, a large lake-like puddle was forming. 

Thunder rumbled buildings and shook the sky and earth alike. Lighting flashed and cracked from earth to sky, connecting Heaven and Hell for a brief millisecond. Wind raged and pushed the heavy rain drops against anything, dead or alive objects alike.

And still he lay asleep. 

A day passed and a few of them left for a short wile, standing around a gray grave under umbrella's and rain coats. Most returned a few hours later, fresh and clean in new clothes. They were set to relieve the first 'shift', as most of the family members switched watches. The relieved members in turn went to that same grave, standing out in the rain long enough to catch a cold. They then changed and came back, though their eyes and ears were not needed. 

But one did not switch for clothes or the feeling of being clean, nor did he switch to visit another one of their numbers - for he was told he didn't need to. He remanded seated in the semi-silent room, curled up into himself, a blanked draped over his usually strong shoulder. His head was dipped in half consciousness and he seemed only slightly aware, eyes half closed. And he continued sitting as hours stretched into hours...

And while this lone sole waited, he still slept.

The next morning brought with it the same gloomy atmosphere, and washed into the rest of the day. The rain itself had not let up, and neither had the tension. He paced in the waiting room -watched by one bleary eyed cousin- his moving eyes fogged with worry and uncertainty. Now he was dressed in normal clothes, his white coat tossed without a care and was now being used as a pillow. His hair was ruffled but clean, his face heavy with discolored bags that hung before his green eyes. 

Laced across the a few waiting room chairs was another family member, shivering from dreams that tend to haunt you after you've had them. He was dressed in the same thing he had been for the past 3 day's, his once snow white shirt ruffled and crumpled in the places were his joints moved. His pants had dirt spots around his knees, and at the moment his shoes were off. His feather white hair was pulled back with a rubber band, some strands falling over his closed golden eyes.

Sitting a chair away from his snow white head was another man of the same age, black hair supporting slight gray streaks, all set into their special places by hair gel or spray . He was leaning back against the chair, both of his hands and arms folded to fit comfortably when entangled with each other. He wore a gray dress shirt with the first two buttons open, no tie in sight. He wore another cleaned set of black dress pants that bore no dirt spots, nor were they wrinkled or dusted. His head was semi-reclined toward his pacing cousin, his foggy brown eyes watching him go back and forth. 

And while that trio waited, he still slept.

Sitting up in a bed one room away, she brushed out her long hair while humming a tune that she normal hummed when hanging up laundry. With each light stroke of the ebony brush her dark brown hair glimmered with a unearthly shine. Her legs were folded Indian style, and a pair of faded jeans that were 2 sizes to big for her covered them. Her shirt was a spring color, the color of roses, that very bright red color sitting on her cheeks as well. Her forest green eyes were closed at the moment and though peace seemed to grow in the room, she felt anything but.

He faded in and out if she did not watch him, his departure only noted by the warmth the room seemed to gain and his re-entry only know by the reappearance of it. He seemed to be drawn by her humming, finding his way back into her room when she would start up again and floating out when she stopped. Where he went she didn't know, and she didn't care to ask for it was his business and not hers. She had stopped her brushing just as he faded in again, and a smile was given. She then opened the door for herself and was followed by her invisible-to-all-who-did-not-know protector, and made her way to the room next to hers.

And while she sat in her chair and talked to her once alive company, and only when she looked away from him to her source of commentary on things outside those two rooms, and only when she moved and touched his hand, did he ever regain painful consciousness. 

And he would have been the first thing to be seen...that is, if he believe... 

Strange Happening's

By SAL-Chan

*Part Six: Awaking

_**~"On the other hand, you have different fingers..."~**_

~*~

Pain.

In the dictionary, pain is described as a strongly unpleasant bodily sensation such as is caused by illness or injury, or mental suffering/distress. 

In other words, it's what you feel when you fall down and skin you knee. Or when you stub you toe. Or fall from a tree and break your arm. Or fall down the stairs and break a leg. Or when your first love tells you they don't love you back. Or when someone totally breaks your heart. There are many different way's of experiencing pain. That is a well known thing. 

Yet not many people experience true pain, or total agony. A pain that throbs thought your body with every heartbeat, that grabs your brain and squeezes it with a spike type of sensation. It stretches every nerve and it feels as if pins and needles were racing along your body like goose bumps. 

Feeling things crash together and break apart in you chest, hearing you own bones snap and you muscles rip apart. Feeling pain race from the bottom of your spine up to your brain stem, coils of white heat wrapping around your leg and arm. Feeling your thoughts slip together and come in flashes, your brain buzzing as it's pulled down into unconsciousness and the utter peace it brings.

But then the feeling of buzzing around your own brain starts to hurt itself, feeling your heart beat and ripple thought your entire being. 

That's _exactly _what I felt.

Though the numbness that wavered through me was unknown - and though it pushed the pain away- it was scary. Not feeling anything -**anything**- and not being able to move makes your heart race painfully. Knowing fully well your brain is sending out signals through your body and having it not respond is one of the most freighting experiences I've ever been through.

But as I fought my way out of the vibrating unconsciousness, I wasn't sure if I wanted to feel nothing or feel everything. 

My muscles yelled in protest at any thought of movement, to that I was willing to comply. My left leg hurt though I could barley feel it at all. My right arm throbbed with a dull ache as well as the right side of my face. But above everything else, my chest felt like something was pushing down on it with a tremendous amount of force. Breathing was quite difficult, but bearable.

As more of the numbing effect wore off on my limbs and brain, I was vaguely aware that there was someone else near me, talking. My mouth was dry and it asked for water, begged with me. My fogged brain quickly went through all the possibility's to achiever my main goal: _Liquid_. 

Well considering the fact that I couldn't feel anything below my chest, and asking whoever it was to get it for me didn't seem logical when I needed water to talk, I guess choice three would be the only possibility. _But I could at least try to ask..._

A groan rose from the back of my through, pain etches in it. Any noise that was in where ever I was stopped abruptly, and I felt a hand. A cool hand sweep across my cheek and landed on my forehead, that nature kind and gentle. 

"Yuki??" 

_Her voice...Tohru was here. Then...was I in heaven? W-what happened? Where was I?_

I pealed my eyes open slightly, my gaze unsecured by a hint of a type of sedative and morphine. The smell of cleaning fluids attacked my nose and made my cough, my body protesting. 

"Don't push yourself Yuki..." Her voice was soft and muffled with a pang of pain that shot up my spine. I felt something cold press to my lip, followed shortly by the glorious liquid that I was searching fore before. I sucked it down as quickly as I could, the feeling of it stretching into my chest felt wonderful and comforting.

I don't remember much after that. In fact, I thing I greeted unconsciousness this time instead of being ripped into it. 

~*~

_He needed to calm down. _

_ Really, really badly..._

I sighed as I watched him turn and take another few strides to the other side of the room. Talk about being uptight...

But then again that's what he did. He always looked after us, even if he seemed a bit stiff. That's the Hatori we grew up with anyway. I watched him turn in his pacing again, his hair covering his stormy eyes. 

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, yet I slightly felt the strands brush my fingers. I sighed again as Shigure shifted in his chair across form me, his head reclining toward me in a attempt to sleep. Ayame had moved from before when I had checked on them, now leaning against the seats in a upright position with his head rested on his knees.

Another 3 steps, and he turned in his heel again.

I felt my good eye twitch.

He had been doing this for the past 2 hours. Ever since that damn Rat woke up.

I brushed another hand through my hair and finally declared the statement true. Old habits die hard, even when your dead. I couldn't shake off this habit...

"Would ya quit it?" I asked my pacing cousin as he turned and took a few steps away from me. Quiet had settled in the waiting room and it was starting to get on my nerves. The only sounds right now was Hatori's stupid shoe's as he walked back and forth. I sighed again.

"You really shouldn't be that worried. Ya know he's up right now, right? " I stated to my audience who were deaf to my words. As always's..

I spun on my heal and walked down the hall, past the nurses station and onto the elevator with a scowl on my face. I turned and stood near the back wall and quickly leaned toward a silver panel to push the button labeled 7. Reality quickly smacked me in the back of the head when I watched my hand go through the panel and I stumbled head first into the wall across form me.

As I've said, old habits die hard.

I didn't have to weight long to get a ride up. Only a second after I had righted myself, two female doctors stepped in to the elevator. The blond one leaned over and pushed the number 9 button while the brunet leaned against the side wall. The door's chimed closed and we're on our way up. 

The blond leaned against the back wall next to me and rubbed her arms while watching the numbers go up.

"Is it really cold in here, or is it just me?" She asked her brown haired friend who had also wrapped her arms around herself. 

"Just a little." She responded with an eastern accent. I felt a wiry grin come to my face.

"Ya don't gotta go pointin' it out." I said as we passed the number 5. I watched and the hair's on the blonds haired woman's arm rase off her skin. Her back straightened drastically and her eyes became wide. 

"What is it?" Her brown haired friend asked, standing up and moving over to her. The blond haired woman's eyes slowly moved across the elevator door, and then landed on me. 

"Hay." I said quickly, and with her shocked face I leaned back against the wall and passed thought it onto the 7th floor.

There were many things I felt when I was alive, emotion's and physical feelings alike. They all seemed really dull to me, but now while I can look around, every color seems brighter and things seem new. Yet nothing I have ever seen or felt is near the feeling of going through things. It feel's like your being pulled apart and you melt into the thing, then you forced out the other side in a not so very friendly like way. Pin's and needles scatter through every part of you body, and it hurts like nothing you have ever thought of feeling. A roaring sound echo's through your ears, so loud you can't stand it any more.

Then suddenly it's over and your through. 

And that's just the feeling you get when you go through doors. 

Going through people is another feeling all together. 

And now that I think about it, it's weird to think that even though I'm dead I can feel. I have thoughts and emotions, and weird enough I can feel things like my clothes, my hair, and other inanimate objects. It took me a year to be able to do the things I do... that's another topic though.

I rounded the corner and walked through a nurse, and slowly came up to door number 627. I stopped and stared at the door for a minuet just listening to the voice inside. I took a deep breath, ran a hand through my hair, and forced myself through the door.

~*~

Waking a second time was not as bad as the first for the pain had receded in my back and my limbs, and breathing was a whole lot easer. My head still throbbed as a sent of cleaning solutions attacked my senses again. 

As I slowly started to collect myself, I heard a steady beeping start to come out of the buzzing that hummed in my ears. It matched the steady beating of my heart that pulsed through my body. And slowly I started to hear another noise in the background.

Her voice was soft but was slowly coming into focus. Her sweet voice was speaking in soft feather like tones, but I couldn't make out the words too clearly. I squinted my closed eyes and strained myself to listen.

"...really don't know?" Her soft voice was questioning, her pitch changing at the end of the question. Heavy silence met her voice, and there was a moment where I was wondering if she was a asking me something.

"Did you...wait. Sorry, never mind...I didn't meant to say that..." Her voice surprised me as a pang of confusion hit me. _Was she talking to herself? _

"No. He's in my old room. Like Momiji said, he fainted a little while ago..." She cut off my thoughts, her voice holding a slight smile. Wave after wave of confusion crashed down on my already stalling brain. Another minuet of her talking to the air went on before my confusion hit it's peek and my curiosity got the best of me.

My eyes blinked open slowly, the bright white light stinging my eyes without mercy. I turned my head away from the blinding light and all noise -save the steady beeping- stopped. 

"Yuki?" Her voice was sweet and a lot closer then it had been before. I blinked again and pried open my tired eyes.

Her hair was brushed down and every peace of it was in it's perfect place. Her eyes glistened with a fire from the heart, forest green shining with light. Her eyes widened and as soon as the depths of her eyes met mine as smile swept across her face. She glowed with the fading light of the day, and everything seemed right. 

"Your awake!" Her voice was cheerful and happy, but apprehensive. She moved back slightly and swept a suddenly stray peace of hair behind her ear. 

"Barley..." The voice that came from me was a frogs. A flash of pain washed though me as I felt my heart beat echo in my chest. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" She asked lightly, her voice suddenly low and distant. She has sunken back into her chair, and it was then that I noticed her hands were laced around mine. She took a deep breath and closed here eyes for a brief moment, then opened them - their green depths sparkling with strength.

"You got hit by a car." She was suddenly a lot farther away as the memory - the source of my pain - came back to me. I was walking home and I got hit by something from behind. I felt my heart quiver.

"What day is it today?" I asked, my voice cracking on 'day'. 

"It's been 3 day's since you woke up the first time. It's the 22nd today." I blinked at her twice, then I closed my eyes. A sigh escaped my lips and I just sat still and tried to concentrate on her hand. But my thoughts seemed to wonder. 

_I was asleep for 8 days. I got hit by a car... well it certainly wasn't a thing I wanted to go through again. _

_But...I have a question for fate. Why did that happen on that day? Was it a fluke, or was something happening that we didn't know about? Was god playing with my family? My family..._

I felt my stomach twist. I wasn't going to think about ** It**. I wasn't going to give into my demon's about that day a year...well, two years ago. I wasn't going to let that stupid _Cat_ get to me...

Sharp pain shot up from the bottom of my spine to my brain and I recoiled into myself, yet I felt her hand pull mine toward her. I blinked as I felt it being lifted, and I felt her lips butterfly kiss the back of my hand.

"I was so worried." Her voice was choked, and when I looked I was struck helpless by the tears the fell form her eyes. She stared at me, her hands clamped around mine and her lips a breath away form my hand. 

"I thought you were going to die..." Her words were shaky as another large tear fell form her eye and a bitter smile came across her face. "I'm sorry. It should have been me."

I have always found myself to be a type of person who could handle every situation in stride. I could cope with almost anything, and could come up with anything to say at any time, with a few exceptions. Miss Tohru Honda happened to be one of those exceptions. I was the one who could come up with something concerning school, or her mother, or anything else at any moment. But this was a totally different scenario, and I was suddenly struck with a speech block. This wasn't the side of her I got to see often, and before everything happened, he would take care for this. Then again, he always started it...

I opened my mouth to say something - something like _'it's better that it was me'_, or _'don't say that and don't be sorry'_. But every time my brain rushed me to say something, I would here it said in his voice and my brain would freeze. It would sound like something he would say, and I was afraid I would hurt her the way he did when he said these things sometimes. _I was so scared of hurting her... _

She suddenly looked to the left, near the door, and stared there for a moment before turning back to me. She slowly let my hand go and stood up, then nodded for some reason unknown to me and wiped her eyes. And in a moment she was her happy-go-lucky 'self' again, a small smile on her face.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to tell everyone you've woken up. Try to stay awake until we get back, ok?" She said as she walked toward the door. For a moment she stood at the door and gathered a big breath, and turned to me.

"Please...don't ever do that again. You made my heart stop. I don't know what I would have done if you died." And with a sweet smile, she opened the door and walked out of my cold room and shut it behind herself leaving me with my own suddenly troubled and even more confused thoughts. 

Once again I was struck speechless by her...

~*~

_Every time!!_

It **always** happened! Every time I seemed to be the center if her attention, the product of her thought's, the center peace of her picture, **_he_** comes and takes it away!

I felt my heart pulsed with anger and pain and I squatted - unnoticed - outside the room. I laced my fingers though my hair and rubbed the top of my head. 

**I hated him**! I **hated** him with _every_ fiber of my being! Yet I wanted to _be_ him so much more... I wanted to _ be_ the one in the spot light, the _trophy_ of the family, the _one_ to be proud of and admired. He was still perfect! Still the one to _ praise_!

Yet he was a total **baka**!!!! Did he not see what he had?! I mean of all thing's, he has to be _girl-stupid_ on top of it all?! _**He just didn't know**_!

That made me so _frustrated _I wanted to scream.

It also made me so _jealous_ that I thought I would go **mad**. 

I buried my head in my crossed arms that I rested on my knees. My heart twisted in knot after knot, my brain buzzing. I had a whole year without being able to say or do anything to help or hurt him, to talk to my family, to live. And the one time I get to be _noticed_ again by someone very special to me, the one time I get to _feel_ alive again and be worried about, the time I'm _remembered_, on my day, he steps in on my time for more attention. Yet the **baka** made her cry!

I wanted to kill him for it.

I wanted to yell, to vent, to let go some of my bottled frustration. He made me so **angry**, so angry that I wasn't sure if I was angry at my self any more.

I wanted to loose my ever slowly slipping sanity, I wanted_ to let go_. I wanted to go _home_...

I wanted to leave here - to move on, but I wanted to be alive so much more. I was being _tortured_, taunted by people who shared _ my life with me_ and continue to live their lives while mine was ripped away from me. 

My god- I wanted everything _he had_! I wanted - I want so many things and I need so many more that it **hurt** to even be here. Ever so slowly I felt my inside twist, and thing became way too much for me. Like the weight of all I ever realized the past year hit me again and again, piling up on top of me.

_I was suffocating. _

_I needed to get out, I needed to be free._

In my minds eyes I saw a picture of my alcove back home, my safe haven from everything outside. I willed with all I had that I would be there, and in a whirl wind I was standing in the middle of my field.

I drew in a quick breath, one after another until I felt my heart skip a beet - unable to keep up with my rapid breathing. My body was shaking and I slowly lost control of my knees. I choked on my breath as a tingling sensation buzzed at the edges of my eyes. It was then that I couldn't hold in any more, and I screamed. 

I screamed with every thing I had, letting everything out. Slowly my voice drained long with my frustrations as I lost air, and I found myself laying on my good side in the grass. My breathing was slowing as I watched a small droplet fall across my high cheek bone and drip off my nose onto the ground. 

_God did that feel good. _

It was silent after that, the cold wind pushing waves across the uncut grass. No one took care of this place since I died, but that just made it mine ever more. Things in my heart settles and my brain ceased in it's humming, and I just let the sound of the wind come over me and envelop me in comfort that is quite rare. 

"_K-yo_, are you giving up yet?"

The voice was deep and low, it sounding determined yet soft all the same, like your favorite cord on the piano. Slowly I lifted my tired eyes toward the speaker to find a boy not so much older then I, bright orange hair - the same shade as mine- that hung around his shoulder. His flat black eyes were deep and kind, the not so perfect oval they sat in pilled wider and pulled back farther then most peoples. He wore a white shirt trimmed in gold and a pair of long tan colored pants. One of his elegant eyebrows were rased up in question.

"_You..._" My eyebrows arched quickly as I sat up, my face creating a snarl. "What are _you _doin' here?!"

"My _job_." He shrugged brushing a piece of stray hair away form his unusual eyes. He took a few steps closer to me and crouched down so he was eye level.

"You not gonna give up, right? Not yet?" He asked again, eyebrow still arched. I glared at him with all the venom I had left, yet my eyes felt droopy and I was tired. A smile formed on his face as he stood again and extended a hand toward me. That was a sight I hadn't seen in a while...

"Come. Rest in your room. Of all places, your aura is there the most." His smile was friendly, and I knew form past experiences that he was. Not that I would ever admit that, but he wasn't half bad. My eyes shifted from his face to his hand and I shakily reached toward it with my own. 

The feeling of contact with another being was a welcome comfort. I watched as my hand met his and in the brief moment when he yanked my arm and pulled me to my feet, I felt something. My body seemed solid and I felt for a brief moment I felt my heart truly beet and my lungs inflate.

And then suddenly I felt that freezing cold that had been settled in my body wash back in a blink of a eye. I blinked and found him at the edge of the clearing walking into the forest toward my house. My eye's narrowed.

_He did that on purpose. He let me feel life again and then ripped it away. Then again, I should get accustom that feeling cause they do it every time they send a flunky out after me. _

"You comin'?!" He yelled across the field, and with a whisk of wind and sparkles that looked like tears he disappeared. I growled lowly and pictured my old room in my mind, and simply willed myself there. 

~*~

The day was bright, the sky clear and the air cold. A perfect day for warm long sleeves, cuddling up on a couch with a cup of coco and just relaxing. And for a change this week, I had a small smile on my face. 

In two days Yuki was coming home. November 28th was the set date, and I was looking forward to it just as much as Yuki was. In the past three days he has gone through so many tests and they finally said it was all right that he came home. His leg and arm were healing nicely as Hatori told us, and as long as pressure isn't applied to his chest and he doesn't do too much strenuous activity he should be ok!

I sighed as I swept the last leaf's off the porch with an old wooden broom and smiled, wrapping my arms around it and looking into the sky. _Everything was going to be ok Mom.._.

"Shigure!" I called, turning back into the house, leaning the broom up against the door outside. I step into my slippers I got 4 years ago for Christmases and walk through into the kitchen. I expected to see him digging through the cabinet, yet the fateful canine is no where in sight. 

"Shigure?" I say again, fright bubbling up in my chest as I exit the kitchen and walk into the main hallway. I didn't hear anyone come in, and he would have told me if he was going out, right? I took a few steps to the door at the end of the hall and looked inside.

His office was slightly neater then before, papers stacked up in piles on his desk and in the corner instead of being spread around. His window was open slightly to let some fresh air in. And there, arms crossed and head berried in them was Shigure, glasses tucked next to his arm and eyes closed. A pen was still lying limply in his hand, bills scattered around him as well as tucked under his arm.

I sighed and leaned against the door frame. Poor Shigure, and poor Hatori also. Shigure had been scratching up money to pay for Yuki's medical costs, and Hatori was trying to pull strings at the hospital. They were both trying so hard...

I sighed again and went to clear out the rest of the house. With a few brisk steps I was at the stairs, and I dragged my fingers on the lines and I was at the top at no time. All my thoughts seem to crash together though as I stopped at the top and stared at the door there. Kyo's old room...

_Kyo...I totally forgot. Where was Kyo? I hadn't thought about him for a wile, and come to think of it...I haven't seen him since that day at the hospital. Maybe...he couldn't hade left us again, right?...._

I took a step toward his door and reached my hand out to the door knob. My hand slipped around it and I stood for a moment, apprehensive. No one had opened his door in two years...

The door resisted slightly as I slid it open, and immediately dust flew out into the hallway. I coughed and peered though silted eyelids into his old dark room. I stepped through the dirt fog and grabbed onto the shutters and flung them open, coughing. 

His mattress was still rolled out on the floor, the sheets and blankets thrown off to the side, set exactly like that morning. His alarm clock still had the 13th on it's calendar marked, and his clock had stopped at 1:49 pm. His clothes were still thrown around the room, his closet open. On the closet door, covered in dust hung a gray shirt and a pair of tan cargo pants, still ironed and pressed. He was going to wear them that night, he would have came back and changed into it. 

The only thing that had been tapered with for two years was a addition that made the corners of my eyes tingle. Sitting on his desk, shining in the sunlight the room hadn't seen in a long time was the beaded black and white bracelet of the zodiac cat. It was folded over on the corners of the desk like it had been thrown there, and though the room was dusty the bracelet had no dust on it what so ever. 

With trembling fingers I reached for it, the beads feeling smooth under my touch. I picked it up carefully, their polish sparkling in the sunlight. I remember thinking how many people had to have worn this in the back of my head, but it was silenced by the sudden buzzing that took over the coherent parts of me. 

**Kyo **_was the last one to where this. This was the only thing taken off of his body after he died, or it was the only thing they saved. I though Kazuma had this, in fact I was sure of it. He had to have kept it, right?_

"You want it?"

His voice surprised me, and the bracelet fell form my hands. Yet before the shinny beads hit the floor, a sparkling gust of wing swept it up and over to the window. I turned sharply, my eyes following it. He reached out and grabbed the bracelet, stepping through the window, hovering a inch or two above the floor. His eyebrow was arched slightly.

I blinked at him, thoughts disappearing and green eyes going wide. 

"Well..." He continued, switching his hazy red eyes to the bracelet, twirling in around his finger and he continued. "Ya can't really keep it. Kind just...well, it can be loaned to ya. The next Cat that's born is gonna need it...so for now ya can hold on to it."

I watched and he slipped his finger out of the circle and pointed toward me. The spinning bracelet flew slowly to me, stopping just before me. It hovered there, still spinning for a moment before my hands took it carefully. It wiggled and flipped itself around my left wrist, sitting perfectly and shining like I had never seen it shine before. 

"Kyo..." I mumbled, my eyes fixed on the bracelet. I had something else, another thing that belonged solely to him, something he would wear all the time. I felt a tear fall from my eye as they trailed back up to him. He blinked at me, face puzzled. In a gesture I remembered well, his right hand lifted up and tucked itself behind his head, elbow high in the air. He turned slightly to the right and scratched the back of his left leg with his right foot.

"Don't go and cry now. 'S nothing big, and I'm gonna need it back later. Your just holding on to it..." He said, eye's focusing on the spot just before his feet. Yet something in his voice and soft colored eyes told me that I could have the bracelet for as long as I wanted. I felt a true smile form on my face, my eyes lighting up and squinting closed, one final tear falling out from one. My right hand gripped the bracelet around my left wrist and I crushed it to my chest.

"Thank you..." I breathed and opened my eyes just in time to see his face. His eyes were slightly wider, gaze fixed only me and a fire dancing behind their red outer cover. His mouth was open slightly, hand his eyebrow were raised slightly.

And in a split second, he spin around, both hands instantly behind his head.

"Weren't ya getting ready for that stupid rat to come home? Better get back to work, there are more leaves on the porch out back again. And ya still need to..." 

He went on with the chore list I had written down in the kitchen, babbling. And I stood staring at his back for a minuet as he talked, enjoying the sound of his ruffled voice and the feeling of his bracelet under my fingers. But I could have sworn on my death bead, just before he turned around, a red ting had settled on his cheeks.

_ Maybe...just maybe, he wasn't so far away as he seamed._

~*~

I sighed, relaxing in the conformable embrace I was being held in. _No better time for R&R, ne?_

I blinked lazily and watched as another leaf fell from a tree. I was hoping things weren't going to be as busy and I knew they were, but then again it came with the job. And at the moment I liked this job very much. This was gonna get a lot tougher, wasn't it?

I was trying not to like it here, I was trying not to get attached, but I like these people. I heard they were amusing, and I just couldn't help myself. I sighed. He had a long rode before him, and it was job before play wasn't it? O well...

As I've said, things were gonna get very interesting, very quickly...

Very interesting indeed...

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ranting: Sorry this took so long. You guy's have no idea how had I have been working in school. We've finished everything for the play, and now I'm doing back stage stuff. Sweet right? They said I wasn't allowed in the beginning, but now that I have shown I can kick butt with making and panting stuff, they're letting be back. But now I got a Sign Language project to work on, plus a 5 page paper to write in English bout Gun Control...and it's December too!! I'm almost snowed in my house right now, but it's all good. My fingers are quite cold though...we need oil...

Sorry you guy's, but I don't think I'm gonna be able to post in a little wile. It's the 6th right now, and the play is next Thursday to Sunday, then Hanukkah, then my B-day, and Christmases (I'm a mix). Then I have a trip to florida for 3 days after that, then I need to do my ASL project...I might be too busy to do stuff. I'm staying late after school this week, but if I blow off some HW, I think I can start and maybe get through half of the next chapter this week. So don't really expect anything any time soon.

About the next chapter, it might be another long one. Not as long as the 5th, but long enough. You guy's might want to kill me after it too...(See bonus)

Onto this one... 

Well, did this one leave you with enough q? Like who is that guy that Kyo talked to? That's the only real question I can see, but what do you guy's think? Did ya get any more interesting info? Anything ya wanna ask? And think about everyone else. Like the mentioned Kazuma. And what do you think of Tohru having Kyo's bracelet? And hears a totally new q.

Why isn't there a new zodiac cat? Nani? Think about it and tell me your finding's... 

Favorite line: 'I have always found myself to be a type of person who could handle every situation in stride. I could cope with almost anything, and could come up with anything to say at any time, with a few exceptions. Miss Tohru Hond happened to be one of those exceptions.' and for you guy's?

Favorite Character: Kyo takes the cake in this one. What do you guy's think?

Date Finished: December 6th, 2003. 10:40 pm.

Moving along...

*Asaya Unami-Chan: Thank you. About that, I have been waiting to say something about that ever since I got your review. ~Puts on her dad's Getty Gas station Cap and shirt~ See depending on the speeds, when two cars crash into each other, they can either just knock off each other front bumpers or they can hit hard enough tho cause something in the engine to jam or explode, therefore breaking apart and creating fire. At the speeds that Hatori and 'Man in Question' car's were going, the guy hit Hatori and a fairly high speed, causing thing to explode. And at the angle they hit and such (Most of witch Kyo will say in 1 to 2 chapter in the future) It was enough to burn him. ~winks~ Sometimes it help being a mechanics daughter...

* Kath: LOL I was worried about that, but I just keep thinking if I saw someone my brain would skip too. She had to realize that I was really Kyo. Really, really? So who was the person this time? And with the explanation that I gave to Asaya-San, do you really think the other guy is alive? LOL I though I was meant to her too even though I wrote it. Your Addicted? Really? Super cool! (Sorry, that was lame.) Thanks again...

* Herflumpness: Thank you. You cried?! Again I made someone cry...Yea I noticed that too. But those two seem like really good friends and can seem really close. They both really don't have family's, and they both have really wicked inner demon's. Thanks again and come back! 

* Misaki: I just mean you came back to review. ~Feel's like and baka~ ~Grin's~ It took way too long to write though. Many a long night. Sok, sok. Just happy you reviewed! Col, I'll check it out...when I have time. I'm so busy...

* justareviewer, notawriter: Really?! I made you cry for that long?!!? OMG I am so sorry! Thank you for the complement though. O!- just wait...I have many a chapter to come...

* Vic: Good job. There are more chapters Y'know? Anyway, thanks bout the imagery thing. Moisa last year shoved that into my brain pretty hard. Hay, I pointed that out to you...Thank ya Vic, and see you in school. 

* yamatoforever: Did I make everyone cry? Was it really that moving? I feel bad to say I'm glad I made people cry but I guess it got my over all message across. Not so many people (That have read this out of FF.Net) have noticed that. I'm not sure if people do. I'm pretty sure Kyo would do that to save that Rabbit. ^_^ Whom ever you think... Well I can tell yet, but did this chapter give you more of a clue? ~Winks~ Sorry this took so long. Till next time.

*HanaTenshiHimeko: Will do. Did I make you cry too...I feel like such a bad person. Please come back and review again.

* Iz: Took you long enough LOL. And I wasn't pretending! I can be if I want to...You shouldn't tell me that. My ego's large enough as it is...See ya at school... 

* Chunxirella: Well ya got up to what...chapter 4 but only reviewed for 1 and 2...sok though. Lol, see ya at school Esh, and I hope you feel better. I hope I'm not next to get that bug. The three of us tend to get it one after another, hua?

* Merei-chan: Thank you, thank you. Lol I get it, and I think everyone else is too...Y'know, I was thinking about that a lot. In a sense your kinda right, but he's not really gonna fight anything but himself. So no, he ant gonna be a spirit detective. Good idea though...very good idea....

Bonus: Pre-view of the next chap!: ( Please don't hate me, cause this is gonna be mean...)

"Wha...what are you saying?" I said, my voice shaking slightly. I felt my knees shake and I leaned against the wall, praying I wouldn't fall. Everything came rushing to me, my eyes wide in shock. That couldn't be...it just want's possible...

He turned toward me, eyes truly dead in their dark hole. His mouth was pulled downward, eyebrow arched together. He didn't just look mad, he looked troubled as well.

"It wasn't just 'an accident'." He said again and I felt my heart shake. His hollow, cold, lifeless eyes were sucking me in and I could look away. I felt my knees buckle as I dropped to the floor. No...

"I saw him Tohru. The other guy in the car. I *saw* him." He stressed the last sentence with nodding his head slightly. "I know who he was. I *knew* him."

"You really don't think it was an accident? I mean, it could all be a mist-" I started.

"No!" He cut me off. "Somehow I just know it wasn't. He was..." He hesitate only a moment, eyes flashing to the window. "He was a Sohma... not someone you would ever meet, but he worked at the main house. In fact, he was working under Akito last time I checked." 

He turned to the window and walked over to it, taking a deep breath. He then turned slightly so he was facing sideways,"leaning agents the window sill. His eyes were stormy, dark and full of emotion's I didn't want to see. I felt myself tremble. Could he really have been....

"I think he helped Akito out like any truly loyal Sohma would." I had never seen Kyo look so troubled, but then again I could tell what he was thinking. We were both aware what this meant , yet I guess he felt like he needed to say it. To have the full impact hit us.

"I wasn't just killed in a accident, not at all...he gave his live to...

That's it!!! Yell at me all you want, it aint gonna change. ~Grin's~ 

And if you're still an idiot who thinks I own this, your WRONG!! FruBa ant mine, but it would be a lovely holiday gift! 

Happy holiday's to one and all! From-

~SAL-Chan


	7. Living with Kyo

It takes a long time to recover from things that tend to be traumatic. Those things often haunt you, or pop up in the most unexpected places. Whether it was a violent act of cruel words, or a violent physical act, they can follow you around and be triggered by the stupidest things. 

Other time you don't forget these tragic experience's, the memory only seems to grow worse. 

It might grow so bad that you find yourself huddled up in the corner of a dark room, mumbling about the past and rocking back and forth. Your hair could be several more inches of unkempt dark chocolate, and your dead dark brown eyes would be gazing at the picture of him across the dark room. Though you really couldn't see it, you knew he was standing there looking out at you, dressed in a sweat soaked white tank top and black cargo pants. He could be standing next to another blue-gray haired cousin and a white and black hair cousin who were both left unnoticed, smiling slightly while holding a soccer ball, a triumphed look in his eyes. 

You could waste away on the outside and inside like that.

Or, you could go day by day training multiple people in the art of fighting, almost all of them related to you in some distant way. You could pretend you don't remember the person who you were almost a father to, and you could loose yourself at night while tangled up in your bed sheets. You could eat at yourself from the inside, wondering why you couldn't have been on time when it really mattered. You could let your already gray hair grow even longer, and you could let your dark gray-brown eyes get darker and darker as you truly rip yourself apart enough to have it show in your eyes.

Or you could waste away from the inside out, hiding it with all your might. Neither of witch is a pleasant thing. 

One spends her nights curled up, never truly sleeping and almost never eating. She never really talks and never really listens either. She dropped everything, her whole life, and waited. For somehow she had convinced herself that he was really going to come back to her. That she would be able to say her own goodbye and not arrive a few seconds late. She forced that belief and made it reality for herself, and so now all she wanted to do was wait. She would wait for as long as she felt needed, and would then go look for him. She would never give up, and she would never let go. She loved him too much... 

The other covered it. He forced his face to become a mask and covered every emotion that had to do with him. He put away every picture, every book, every memory of the boy away - locking them up in a case at the bottom of his heart. He went along like normal, forcing all thoughts about anyone that had to do with him into that small bottomless box. He would spend his days like a normal master, but at night he would die. He would let everything out of that box and think, tossing and turning in bed as dreams plagued him over and over again. He would cry out for help, for a cease in the suffering, but it seemed like the gods had fun toying with him. He would shiver and shake with emotional pain so strong that it turned physical and his body would start to bleed. And slowly he became a shell of his former self, large bags under his eyes and a slight shake to his grin. Never did he smile, and never did his eyes light. He missed him too much...

God did they both wish to see him again. They both wished that they could hold him one last time and feel him alive, watch emotion string itself across his face. They both wished to hear his voice, to see him, to remember and talk with him of the past and the future. 

If only they knew... 

Another person, though he seemed so small and less affected, ate at himself and refused to change. He truly believe that if he stayed the same as the last time he saw him, that somehow he would come back. That he would come back and be like a brother again, that they would have fun together. That he could finally grow up with him at his side, that he would be guided to become exactly like the boy-to-be-man that he admired so much. That he would smile or grin again, or even ground his fist into his head. He wished he would come back, that he was never lying on top of him in the middle of the street being clutched onto so hard that it caused bruises on his arms that lingered for month's. He was scared for the rest of his life also, his last words said to only him, his will left up to a boy who - in his own eyes- was not fit to carry that weight. It hurt so much...

But above all, he wanted to have his words be true. He wanted to believe in his role model so fully - so truthfully and totally- that he wanted to believe 'everything's going to be ok'. He wanted to make him come back, to always be with him like he said. After that thought he figured something out, something very important.

In fact, they all learned something...

...there's no such thing as a life without the only one you love...

...that if you loose someone -the only one - you really care about, you die as well... 

...and people tend to lie. 

Strange Happening's

By SAL-Chan

*Part Seven: Living with Kyo

_**"Secrets, Secrets are no fun - if you can't tell anyone..."**_

**_"I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone. But thought you're still with me, I've been alone all along..." _- My Immortal (Evanescence)**

~*~

In my 17 and a half years of life, I think I have been through a lot of things. From every day girl thing's, to meeting people who changed into animals. But I would have to say the things that have happened recently have to take the cake.

I smiled again as I watched Kyo turn on his heel and walk in the opposite direction and then though the teacher to the other side of the room, then turn and do it over again. It was quiet hard for me not to laugh or giggle or smile in the middle of the class, and I was ready to break down and laugh at some of the thing's he had been doing. Now I know letting him come to school would be a bad idea, but how could I stop him? Plus, he said he needed practice. This morning while I was making breakfast for Shigure and Yuki (almost making one for him on impulse as well) he told me more about his newly acquired talents. 

~^~

"You've been here for a year already?" I asked him, looking up at my floating company. He sat hovering inches above the counter top, staring at the fridge like it was evil. Another thing I had found out was that Kyo -even though he felt and breathed and said that his heart beet- could not eat. 

"Yea. What about it?" He sighed and played with the stitches on his cheek, making me turn away. It wasn't that it was rotting or anything - in fact it looked to be heeling - but it was just gross. I shrugged, washing off the last of the rice pot.

"I just didn't know." I responded, turning to him again - relieved the he had settled both of his hands behind his head - and smiled slightly. He shrugged and rolled his eyes.

"I didn' expect ya to. I have been busy and stuff..." I blinked.

"What could you be doing?" I asked, truthfully wondering. _What could a ghost be doing?_

"Learnin'." He shrugged the qustions off, intriguing me more. 

"Learning what?" I pushed slightly. He sighed and cast his gaze around the room, landing quickly on the rack full of newly washed dishes next to me. He pushed himself into the middle of the room and turned toward me and the dishes, then motioned with his hand to move away.

"Is everything still where it's suppose 'ta be?" He asked as I settled next to him in the middle of the kitchen, and with a nod of my head he turned back to the dishes. He slowly levitated to the ground but unlike what normally happened when he lands, his hair didn't stop flying around him. In fact it seemed that the invisible fan that moves his hair increased, the bright oranges strand flying away from his face all together.

He closed his eyes slowly and put his palms together level near the middle of his chest so his elbows are square and his shoulder set. He parted his feet shoulder width apart, toe's outward. There was a moment where there was actual wind in the room, my dress and shirt ruffling and my hair being pulled towards him. I tried brushing my hair away from my eyes, yet the wind seem to speed up. I froze in mid motion - watching the air around the cat begin to glow, sparkles that looked like tears shining around him, being pulled into a vortex that shrouded the dead boy. 

And then suddenly he opened his eyes, the red depth's glowing with a white light. Slowly he pulled his hands apart and the wind suddenly became stronger, pulling toward the small space between his palms. Then with a snap of wavering cold the wind stopped and I watched with widened eyes as his face changed into a snarl, eyebrow's furrowing and lips turning down to reveal his slightly pointed tooth. A white orb began to form in between his palms, and it grew to about 4 or 5 inches and shined like a soft light bulb.

H e then quickly forced is palms outward, toward the large rack of dishes - the white orbs-like thing hovering there. 

"Ya might want to watch out. 'S gonna get a bit windy..." Kyo's voice was strained, glowing eyed focused ahead of him. And with a split second to prepare myself, his palm's started to glow. 

Then, he whisperers something that I couldn't understand and white wind flew out from the orb and it looked as if it was about to crash into the dishes. Yet the stream-like smoke split into 2 and while one flew into the dishes, the others crashed into the cabinet with a slight 'thunk'. I held my breath as I watched the one half crash into the dishes, yet felt myself release it when the white smoke faded only a second after. I blinked and turned to him. A slow grin speed across his suddenly flushed face, and he blinked again - eye's still glowing. 

"Now's the easy part..." He spoke softly, voice echoed and distant, much like I first heard him. He lifted his hands so they were flat with his palms down and were level with his shoulder. And he dropped them to his sides just as fast, turning he head to me slightly.

"...it's tha fun one too." His grin was comforting, and I couldn't help but smile back. He turned back to the dishes, a small smile on his face. He then fully turned back to the cabinets and cracked his fingers, then put them to his sides again.

There was a moment of quiet that beat through the house, and I found myself holding my breath once again.

Then suddenly he raised his left hand up to about his shoulder, his fingers still relaxed and curled slightly. And I watched amazed as at the exact moment he did so, all the cabinets opened. They simply clicked and opened by themselves. I felt my mouth fall open.

He then brought his other hand up so his arm was straight out and level with his shoulder, yet this time his palm was up. There was a second where cold flew from the other parts of the house and into the kitchen, and then his hand quickly tightened into a fist - as if he grabbed something. All the plates and cups rattled slightly like something shook them, but they didn't move from their places. He then quickly pulled his right hand toward the center of his chest, and immediately all the pots, plates, cups, eating utensil, even the dish towel that was sitting on my shoulder, raised into the air and floated there as if held by strings. I felt myself blink in shock as I looked back and forth from him to the dishes, to the rag that was now levitating inches from my head, back to him. 

"You sure everything is where it was?" He asked again, fully concentrating on holding the dishes with-with...magic? Could it have been magic? Since I can think of no other word for it, magic it was. 

"Yes..." I said after a moment of trying to find my words. _This had to be one of the most amazing things I had ever seen._

"Good, cause if they aren't, I aint responsible if somethin' brakes." He mumbled softly, his outline shaking for a moment. He then grinned slightly, took a few quick breaths and held the last one. He flung his hand out again, this time palm down and spread his fingers out. He then turned his hand so it was diagonal and swiped it across the walls where the cabinets and draws were. There was a moment of nothing happening, and then things started to clatter.

I watched and the plates picked themselves up out of the drying rack and levitated over to their proper places in their appointed cabinet. The pots floated down and folded into each other and sat under the sink. The glasses congregated together and shuffled into a higher cabinet, and the utensils found their proper slots in the draw. And within 30 seconds, everything I had washed a few minuets ago was away. The dish towel had swiped the counter off and folded itself neatly next to the sink. And by dropping his left arm back to his side, every cabinet door swung back into place and every draw closed with a chorused 'Ker-tap'.  


I stood there next to Kyo for a full minuet, just staring at the cabinets, draws, and the empty dish rack. Quiet echoed through the house, and slowly a smile started to form on my face.  
  
"Told ya it was cool…" Kyo's voice was distant and low, and the room was slowly getting warmer. I looked over toward him slightly, finding that he was almost completely see-through. I could tell he was pale though, and that his cheeks were flushed slightly.   
  
"Kyo?" I turned fully toward him with worry laced in my voice, but he simply turned away and waved a hand slightly. His shoulders heaved as if he couldn't catch his breath.  
  
"Fine! Just…that was a little much …" And without another word, the un-felt gust of wind swiped his shaky outline away…  
~^~

I frowned, remembering this morning. _He disappeared after that while I was getting ready for school, and showed up while we entered the school gates. He had some color back and was almost solid again like he was before but…something was off. I could just tell… _  
  
"Your suppose ta' be copyin notes, ya know. Not spacing out…" His voice surprised me, and I jumped and turned to my right. He was leanings against the window, a small grin on his face. The girl sitting next to me turned her head slightly and raised an eyebrow at me. I smiled slightly, and quickly realized once again that I was the only one who could here Kyo. The rest of the class was completely silent. I felt myself blush and I smiled at her, turning back to the board and started to copy the notes again. 

I heard him chuckle slightly, and I smiled. _It's so nice having him back...and at least I got to share him with someone._  


~*~

I tapped my pen against the desk, sighing to myself. My leg _itched_ like you would not believe, yet I thanked Kami that it didn't hurt any more. Those drugs Hatori gave me shielded my body from the pain my leg let out. But I was very thankful to him, for he was the one who got me out of that sterile prison a few days before I was supposed to.

I had been home for a day or two already, the date today was November 27th. Home and in school a good day before I should have. But I couldn't stay in that house for very long, and ever since my accident Tohru has been acting...well, weird...

Me and Shigure find her talking to herself when she thinks no one is around. She would say something then pause as if someone was giving her an answer, and then respond. Sometimes she would laugh out of nowhere, or act and move strangely. Like she would open a door walk through, turn around and wait like someone else was walking though, then close it. 

But it wasn't really her talking to herself that was bothering us, That was only part of the bigger problem. See, on the day I came home, we -namely Shigure, Hatori, Haru, and I - found Tohru sitting in _his _old room. 

She had simply been sitting on the floor near his desk, the door to the room and the window wide open as if she was airing the room out. She sat with her legs curled up to her chest and her arms were draped around her legs. Her head was reclined and resting against the desk, and she was humming to herself softly and crying slightly. 

What scared us most - well at least Shigure, Hatori, and I- was that she had on **his** bracelet. It was looped around her left wrist, just a little too big for her. 

I remember I couldn't breath for a moment, my heart stopping and my thoughts ceasing. Panic welled in my chest -along with my slight phobia of the past- as she continued to hum to herself. Total silence and shock stole the three of our voices, while Haru on the other hand only paused for a moment, blinked and cocked his head slightly, and then continued up the rest of the stairs. 

Haru looked about as horrible as he had been for a wile now, face paler and large black and blue bags under his eyes that never seemed to go away. Hatori watched his health slowly descend for about 4 months after ** his** accident and he had worried us for a wile. Then one day, he just started to get better. He never looked ok again, but he became the Hatsuharu he was before the accident and was almost normal again.

Shigure told me recently that Haru's situation now is slightly like Tohru's. Hatori believes that there something physical wrong with both of them, and that cause is that accident. He says that he caught Haru speaking to himself much like the way Tohru does, or he just stares off into space. 

Anyway, Haru just continued up the stairs and walked straight into his room. Tohru opened her eyes and greeted him, then her eyes flashed to the right near the other side of the room. From the back we only saw him nod and sit down next to her, then lean over and simply shut his door.

They stayed in there for over 2 hours talking to each other. I don't know what they talked about, or why that talked with pauses in between them, but they talked. Then two hours later the door slid open and Haru stepped out, emotionless face on. He asked if he could stay over, and for some reason - Though I think it's telepathy between the three friends who grew up together- both Hatori and Shigure agreed at the same time. They obviously know something they're not telling me.

And Tohru simply followed him out, smiled when he told her he was staying over, said 'I'll go make dinner then', and went downstairs and did just that. His door has now been left open a crack for day's, that bracelet hasn't left her wrist, and she talks to herself less frequently - so Shigure says. 

I'm not sure what Haru did, I'm not sure if it was good or bad, but I thank him for giving our old Tohru back- even if it requires her to 'loose her mind' as Shigure puts it. I'm not sure if that's it though. I think there something she, nor Haru, will tell us and it's starting to annoy me.

_ Annoy or worry. Either or..._

_ Or both..._

_ I'm sure, in the not so distant future, I might find out 'what' myself. But for now I'll be as quiet as a mouse about it. I'll try, at least..._

_ For Tohru's sake, I'll try. _

~*~

"-and he doesn't even know! I mean, come on! I haven't taken a test in a year and I know I would have passed that!" 

I nodded slightly as he continued, trying my best to not laugh out loud at the dinner table with Shigure and Yuki right there. It's weird not being able to respond, but I remember what Haru told me about it.

_'Pretend he's a radio' He said, 'And just listen. He'll know. He's not a total baka.'_

Still smiling to myself I picked up another peace of cucumber and ate it, then put my chopsticks down. I laced my fingers through each other and sat them on my lap, fiddling with the end of my skirt. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Shigure steal a quick look at me, worry furrowing his forehead.

_'They're going to be worried.' Haru's voice rang in my head again. 'They're going to think your nuts and they're going to try to call you on it.'_

"Aha...that was good." Shigure said abruptly and placed his chopsticks down, a slow...euphoric smile captivating his face. He has been saying the same thing after every meal for 4 years and counting, and ever time it causes me to smile widely like I had been given a gift.

"Oh shut the hell up!!" Kyo exclaimed toward the writer from the kitchen, and entered the dining room through the wall. "You say the same thing every day! **Dammit**, you annoy me so much!" 

I couldn't help my smile from growing wider than normal. 

"Thank you Shigure." I mumble back, fearful that a giggle might come forth form my mouth. The side of my smile twitch slightly, but I held myself together well.

" '_Thank you Shigure_'." Kyo mumbled and walked around me, through the table and stood in Shigure. I watch as the hairs on the Dogs arms stood up on end. He shivers slightly, but his grin stays.

"Yea, I know you feel me. Shiver...come on I know you want to..." Kyo poked the top of Shigure's head a few times before he gets his desired result. The dog shivered slightly and rubbed his arms.

"Is it cold in here or is it just me?" He raises an eyebrow at my expression, and I can't help but giggle slightly. Yuki, as normal, didn't gratify Shigure's questions with an answer. He simply picked up another cucumber and poped it in his mouth, then sets his chopsticks down as well.

"I'll clean up then?" I ask, my smile never fading. I grab our rice boles and immediately get up and head for the kitchen. I scuttle half way into the room when cold ran past me and I watch as strips of white wind took the bowls from my hand and brought them over to the sink. I turned around then and passed him through the door way, a small smile on my face. We continued doing this until the table was cleared, me picking the plates up and taking them halfway into the kitchen and him taking them all the way to the sink. 

I took the last plate all the way to the sink myself, for Shigure followed me out. 

I felt his dark eyes on my back as I put the dish in the sink, but when I turned around he was smiling at me.

"I'll be in my office if you need me." He stated with a smile on his face and walked out of the kitchen and down the hall. I watched him until I lost sight of his back, then I turned back to where Kyo was before and found that spot empty. 

Suddenly there was a loud bang -followed by a yelp- in the hallway, and I knew where Kyo was. I rushed as quickly as I could to the door of the kitchen. When I reached the hallway, the sight I found was slightly unexpected. Shigure lay on the floor face down, and didn't move.

"Shigure?" I asked and moved over to the prone form of the author. He was breathing slightly, and his eyes were squinted closed, and a little trail of blood came from his nose that was presses flatly to the floor by the weight of his head. 

"_Ow_..." He squeaked in a voice higher then his normal, and then Kyo's laugher filled the hallway though he was no where in sight. I slightly heard movement from the kitchen, but I paid more mind to Shigure then to the noise.

"Are you ok? What happened?" I asked, already knowing the answer to the second question, but Shigure didn't. In fact he didn't know why he kept tripping and falling for the last month or so, but he did almost once a day -thanks to Kyo that is. He slowly pushed himself off the floor and shook his head slightly, another drop of blood wetting the floor.

"Fine." Was his slightly clogged reply as he put a hand up to his nose and pinched it. He sat there for a moment, trying to comprehend something. He then shrugged and looked up at me. 

"_Baka_." The voice came from the kitchen and caused both me and Shigure to just look. Yuki was leaning against the doorway, the first aid kit in one hand and the other clutching the frame. He balanced on his good foot, his face slightly flushed from the effort it probably took to get here from the dining room.

"You shouldn't say anything." That wavering tone came from inside the kitchen, and I watched as Kyo passed through the rat and came into the hallway, his legs tucked underneath him Indian style and his hands behind his head. He was a good 4 feet off the ground, and a grin was on his face. "Wait till I start pushing you too, _kuso nezumi_."

I stared at him for a moment and almost said something when I reminded myself that I was once again the only one who could see him.

'_You going to start to feel very alone.' Haru's voice flooded my mind for a second, his tone dull and lonely. 'You're slowly going to freak out about the knowledge that he's here but they don't know. It's kind of....knowing the end of a book but not being able to tell anyone else about it becasue they need to finish it before they can know too. Don't let it drive you crazy though...'_

"Tohru?" Yuki's voice brought me back to reality, as I blinked and found the first aid kit a foot or two away form my face. I blinked again and took it from him, opened it and took out some cotton and hurriedly covered Shigure's nose and he continued to pinch it. 

I simply just shut my mouth and nibbled on the inside of it, trying not to let tears come to my eyes. This was way harder then I expected, and I suddenly appreciated Haru's words a lot more then I had before. 

_This was getting really hard, really fast._

_ I felt that slight ache in my heart again... _

_ He was still that far away._

~*~ 

I snickered to myself, watching all of them quietly from around th corner. This family is the utter most entertaining thing I have ever gone through. All of them! The make me laugh so hard sometimes that tears well in the corner if my eyes. 

Yet I love the drama in this family. The tens emotions, the small warnings, full blown soap opera material. Maybe it's that fact that I'm not really human that I talk about things like that this way, but that's the way I see it. This family's life would make a wonderful book.

I turn around the corner and step outside into the cold, looming night air. _A storm's brewing_ I think as I feel a smile grace my face. I feel my hearing pick up on common conversation entangled with Kyo-Kyo's side input. Stupid cat...ha ha..

That fact is sad though. The fact that the poor girl is the only one who can see him. And that the stupid Cat is the only one who knows who I am. Well...it's laughable really, for no one will believe her, and no one will believe him. 

"Quiet." I say to the thundering sky as black clouds gather to block out the night. "Wait for the right time. Now is not that time...I'll let you know when."

And with that I hop into the night and around a path to the opening, taking one long look back at the lighted house before take my leave. 

_ ...Very interesting, very quickly indeed. _

~*~ 

The next few days were as torturous for him as they were for me. Slowly he stopped coming to school, yet he was very prominent at home. His 'magical' powers were increasing, and now he could have fun opening and closing doors on Shigure and Yuki. And to me, strangely enough, he started looking whole. The only time I could ever see through him was if he used too much '_magic_', or he just came out of a wall. 

We had weekly talks with Hatsuharu, and slowly we -Kyo and I- started to gain other facts that were happening inside the Sohma compound. He said that the only person who's seen Kagura lately was Hiro, for the sheep was assigned by Shigure to watch her. Ayame was recovering form the traumatic event and was planning a full frontal 'Brother bonding' day, and that Yuki should be ready for it sometime next week. Kisa was as fine as she could be, and she normally stuck with Hiro or Hatori, who was suffering from a slight head cold. There was no news from Ritsu, but word of him was that he was well. And Momiji we both knew abut from school...

"What...what about _Kazuma_?" Kyo had said tentatively, and it was like you could feel the quiet seep into the room. Haru's eyes shifted to me for a second and then he turned back to Kyo.

"He's...alright, in a sense of the word. He looked a bit older than he is, and he looks like he hasn't had a good sleep in days now." He responded quietly, eyes avoiding Kyo's altogether. Silence enveloped us again, and not another words was spoken until Shigure came and told us to go to sleep. 

It started to rain that night, and still -2 days later- it hasn't sopped all together. Sometimes there are lulls in the amount of rain falling, but it never seems to just stop. The rain still seems to affect Kyo as much as it did before. I caught him sleeping twice today already...

I sighed as I filled up Kubo's bowl and placed it next to his food on the floor, wiping my slightly wet hands on my apron before I removed it and hung it up. This drearier atmosphere and covered thoughts that I've had for a little wile now have made me a little uneasy and out of it. My thought's chased each other and I kept losing sleep. I believe they both know something's going on, and Shigure has just started to question what it is. 

I guess I'm letting it get to me. The fact they Kyo's here again is very unnerving and questionable, and I keep worrying if he'll just disappear again one day and will never come back. The thought scares me, and it's starting to become painful to be around him. I know he's going to leave us again, but I don't know and I really want to know when.

The only time I don't feel insane or question weather or not he'll stay or leave is when Haru comes over. So far the two of us are the only people who know about Kyo, and he tells me Hana can sense him. He said she questioned him about it and he told her the truth, but not all of it. That makes me feel a whole lot better, knowing that we're not alone in this...

_I'll just keep waiting for the day when Shigure and Yuki can see him, and then everything will be ok in the house again. Well, as normal as it could possibly be._

I spin his bracelet around my wrist as I make my way down the hall from the kitchen to Shigure's office. I stop at the half opened door and peeked inside.

Shigure sat with his back to me, his fingers dancing over the keyboard of the computer, his pen resting behind his right ear. His legs were crossed and his face was set in a thin line, his eyes glued to the screen.

"Shigure?" I said and made him jump. He spun toward me slightly, a surprised look on his face before he smiled kindly at me. 

"Yes?" He responded, taking the pen out from behind his ear. I smiled at him and fiddled with the side of the door.

"I'm going upstairs." I announce, and he blinks at me.

"Alright. How are you feeling today?" He asks for the 4th time today. I sighed but continued to smile at him. 

"Fine. I'm ok..." I repeated and turned away from the door, suddenly very tired. It seemed like little things could wear me out lately. The trip down the hallway seemed very short and I faintly remember trailing my hands up the wall as I traveled up the stairs. The finger marks on the stairs were becoming more noticeable, and underneath the last thin coat of paint you could slightly see the wood. 

But something made me stop as I reached the top of the stairs. Kyo's door was closed, fully closed. I had left it open for the longest time, so it seemed really odd that it would be like that. My heart fluttered with nervousness and worry, and I aborted my quest for sleep and instead went for the handle of the door. 

It felt like electricity raced it's way up my arm as I touched the handle. Like pin's and needles captured my hand and were attempting to numb it. I felt a wave of cold hit me as lighting flashed through the sky and was followed by rumbling thunder. The beads laced around my wrist seamed to vibrate and grow quite warm against my skin. It seemed like everything was telling me not to go in this room, that something was very wrong and it was very bad, and that I should just drop it and go away. My heart prickled, and despite my intuition and better judgment, I set my face in a thin line and slid the door open. 

~*~

Thunder rumbled through the house as the door slid open, letting light from the outside flow into the room. It was only disrupted by a tall black shadow, the color of my carpet surrounded it. The light seemed unnatural, very fake, but as did everything now...

The shadow stepped into my room, leaving the door open. He was tall now, and growing hansom as a rapid pace, though he looked as though he hadn't changed at all. I knew better. I'm smarter than that. 

His hair was gathered around his face, sopping wet from water. _Was it raining? I barely heard it. His eyes were dark and very hard to see in this dreadful light, and they held no shine what so ever. No matter, he's exactly like me now. We both know how it feels..._

He knelt down near me and smiled, placing one cream colored hand on my curled up knee. His face was soft and cold, almost the color of snow. His lips stuck out - rose red- and so did his amazingly white teeth. 

He said something, his red lips moving, but I wasn't really staring at his lips. _I was staring at his scar. His ugly, lying scar. That wasn't the truth..._

My hand wondered up from my lap and brushed itself along that stupid scar, and his mouth stopped. Thunder rolled in the background as I traced my thumb over it again and again.

"He's just hiding..." I murmured, a slow smile coming onto my face. His ice-cold hand laid itself over mine, but didn't push me away.

"He's coming back." I repeated my montia, my creed. The thing I would believe until I was proven wrong. Until the day he didn't come back. But as of now, there was still a chance. I knew there was. He would never give up like that, and we would never let him. He's stronger than that.... 

"Kagura..." He mumbled, the only audible thing he's said to me at all. With a slight smile on my face I brushed a tear that had fall from his eye away with my thumb and the continued to run it along his **lying** scar. 

"Just wait and see...he's coming back." He then launched himself at my chest and looped his arms around me. I moved slightly so he didn't hurt my leg and gently laces my fingers through each other around his back He shook with sob's and tears, and a while later he started to calm himself down. 

And the entire time I stared at him from across the room, his pictures proving that he was ever here. _And that he will come back. _

_ I know he will, I believe in him._

_ I love him, he won't let me down._

_ He's coming back, and too bad for them if they don't believe me. What do they know anyway?_

_ He's coming back, and then I can say good bye..._

~*~

I was running through the cold rain, glad to be feeling something other than pain. Cold was sweeping up and down my body and the droplets of water hit me like little bullets.

_Good _I thought. _Let them kill me. God knows I've suffered enough._

And still I ran, still pathetically alive, searching for something that could save me. Anything at all that could save me, but knowing fully well that I needed to save myself this time. Looking for someone who could help at all, who could ease the pain. I knew only _one_ person who could do that. 

So I ran to find him, ran with all I had left. I needed this more then I would let on, I needed to let go more then I needed to live. For what's a life worth when you have no one to live it with? No one to care for it with? To go thorough all the troubles and hardships with? 

_ Nothing. That's exactly what my...life..._

_Stop it!_ I mentally shouted to myself, turning a corner and dashing along the pathway. I knew I wasn't in my right mind, but I couldn't control myself anymore. All I knew at the moment was finishing this task and being set free. 

I came to his door quickly and banged on it, my hand shaking from the cold. My skin was milk white, my veins a liquid blue underneath them. If fascinated me for the longest moment...

He called from inside, and shortly after the door was ripped open. He stood just as tall as I, black hair draping over his left eye. His green eyes wavered at me, their depth's sinking into black as his pupils dilated from absence of light. His shirt was half open, his feet bare and legs covered by black pants. _So close..._

"Hatori..._please_..." I mumbled limply, dropping to my knees and trying to catch my breath. Rain continued to fall down hard on the top of my head and shoulder, and lighting crackled in the distance and illuminated the sand yard for a moment. Hatori moved at once, quicker then the eye could blink, and was at my side in a instant. 

"What's wrong?" His thick voice was almost drowned out by the thunder. I felt myself shake as his hand connected with my shoulder, and I quickly gripped it and pulled it off.

"Get rid of it Hatori...All of them, I want all of them gone...I can't stand it any more..." _Week. I sounded so week to my own ears_, My grip on his hand tightened like he was going to run from this suggestion. 

"What?!" His voice was almost drowned by the rain, but the look he gave me was loud and clear. Rain drops had soaked through his shirt and matted his hair down, the dark locks now sticking to his forehead. I knew that my own hair was a rats nest of tangles and water by now, but I really didn't care. 

"Take them away...my memory's of _him_..." I mumbled, my strength leaving all together. "Make me _stop hurting_...I can't go any more. _Please_ Hatori, _please_..."

He stared at me for one long moment, his eyes churning with black darkness and pain that I knew all to well. His hand twitched in my grip, and at once I was hoisted to my feet and dragged into his house. 

"You **baka.**" He said as he dragged my almost limp body and lay me on the floor, and I felt a sharp shiver make it's way through my body. Pins and needles raced up my calves and sat in my feet, and the room was suddenly getting hotter and hotter. Something warm was placed on top of me and I felt my hair being pulled away and wrapped in something. 

"You're trying to **kill **yourself, aren't you?" His voice was foggy and almost not understandable. My head had stared to hurt and my body was becoming too warm for my comfort.

"_Please_..." I tried again, and my senses were awoken quickly when a hand connected to my cheek in quite a forceful manor. I lay stunned for a moment, staring up at his face that could be considered masked with furry. His hand was raised, ready for another strike. 

"Kazuma, **shut up**!" He shouted, and at once I found all my words and thought's stopped. Hatori's eyes were darker then I had ever seen them, and his shoulder were hunched and shaking with cold and anger. 

"You going to have to either l**ive with it or let go**." He brought his voice down to it's slightly raised state. 

"I'm not going to let you - or anyone else for the matter - run away from this. I'm truly surprised that **you,** of all people, would give up so easily when Kyo-" I felt myself flinch. "- was feeding off your teaching's and thoughts before **he** died."

I stared up at Hatori for a moment, questions and tears flooding my eyes. 

"You know I'm right." He continued, lowering his hand and placing it on my forehead. "You know exactly what you should do, and you need to do it. So let go, or put yourself through more suffering. Do you really think that he would enjoy watching you suffer from his memory?" He was shaking also, I noticed, but not from the cold. Pain covered his eyes, and he suddenly looked a lot older then the Hatori I grew up with. 

"So either _let go_, or _give in_. Because I'm not going to say yes to anyone who ask's... "

"So I'm not the only one, ne?" My voice sounded very tired, and to my ears it almost sound like someone else was talking. I felt myself shutter, my ears ringing. The slap that Hatori gave me hurt, but knocked some much needed sense into me. He shook his head, frowning, and continued to fiddle with things I couldn't see. 

"Letting go or giving in?" He asked again, and for a moment I could think, I could breath, I couldn't feel. And then everything came back to me in a flash. 

4 hours later I lay on a mat on his floor, face buried in the pillow, soaking it almost all the way through with my tears alone. I felt myself shake despite my best efforts as more warmth was wrapped around me.

Sleep came so much easer than before, and for once I had blackness instead of dreams.

~*~

He looked almost real, his outline full and solid. His hair moved with the breeze from outside, as did his clothes. He sat on his desk, shoulders hunched, slightly glowing red eyes moving from the window to me. I stepped in and closed the door behind me, the room so cold that it felt like it wanted to eat your sole.

"Kyo...is everything alright?" I hadn't seen him for the entire day, and I suspected he was up in his room but never got around to checking. The rain always left him a little under the weather and I thought it would be better just to leave him be. But the look on his face when I opened the door, just before he turned around, showed that it was much more then the weather keeping him down. 

"Fine." He clipped his own words short, his voice strong in the silent room. Thunder rolled in the background and lighting lit his face and the room, making me jump slightly. I knew he was lying...

"Please Kyo, tell me what's wrong..." I said as I took a step closer to him, but he simply turned back to the window. His eyes were growing darker and his mouth was set in a thin line.

"You don't wanna know about it, so don't worry..." His eyes darted over to his alarm clock that was now working with new battery's. The date was still on the 13th though, neither he nor I dared or wanted to change that. His statement puzzled me slightly, intriguing me more than it normally would have.

"Please tell me. What ever it is..." I murmured, a reassuring smile on my face. He stared at me for a moment before turning back to the window.

"I was just thinkin'...about dying..." his voice was almost a whisper, and I strained to hear it. 

"About why I died, how, and other things..." He continued "It's things your kinda forced to think about..."

"But..." I started, thanking god for my wonderful experience at reading his expression's. It has become a skill I have mastered throughout the whole family, and as of now I could tell that there was a bigger thing then just that- as disturbing and unnerving that was.

"But..." He continued my sentence, his futures becoming dark.. "I...don't think I should tell you..."

"Please?" I pushed slightly, very worried and very scared. My stomach was doing flip flops in the not-so-nice way and my brain told me that I did not want to know what he was going to say next. 

"I...I don't think..." He started unease, closing his eyes for a moment then opening them again. " I don't think my death was an accident..."

There was a moment of total and utter frightening silence and the amount of fear, question, and panic hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt as if something was breaking, and the bottom of my stomach dropped out. The room lowered in degrees and a slicking chill raced up my spine. 

"Wha...what are you saying?" I said, my voice shaking slightly. I felt my knees shake and I leaned against the wall, praying I wouldn't fall. Everything came rushing to me, my eyes wide in shock. _That couldn't be...it just wasn't possible..._

He turned toward me, eyes truly dead in their dark holes. His mouth was pulled downward, eyebrow arched together. He didn't just look mad, he looked troubled as well.

"It wasn't just '_an accident'_." He said again and I felt my heart shake. His hollow, cold, lifeless eyes were sucking me in and I could look away. I felt my knees buckle as I dropped to the floor. No...

"I saw him, Tohru. The other guy in the car. I **saw** him." He stressed the last sentence with nodding his head slightly. "I know who he was. I **knew** him."

"You really don't think it was an accident? I mean, it could all be a mist-" I started.

"-**No!**" He cut me off. "Somehow I just know it wasn't. He was..." He hesitate only a moment, eyes flashing to the window once again - like he could escape any time he wanted. "He was a _Sohma_... not someone you would ever meet, but he worked at the main house. In fact, he was working under _Akito_ last time I checked." 

He slid off the desk and turned to the window then walked over to it, taking a deep breath. He then turned slightly so he was facing sideways, leaning against the window sill. His eyes were stormy, dark and full of emotion's I didn't want to see. I felt myself tremble. _Could he really have been...._

"I think he helped Akito out like any truly loyal Sohma would." I had never seen Kyo look so troubled, but then again I could tell what he was thinking. We were both aware what this meant , yet I guess he felt like he needed to say it. To have the full impact hit us.

"I wasn't just killed in a accident, not at all...he gave his life to _end mine_." It was a crushing statement, and I felt something snap behind my eyes. Realization was painful, and tears slid silently and slowly down my face.

"Oh God...Kyo..." I felt myself murmur as I covered my mouth with both of my hands. I felt my heart shutter again, and I was suddenly very scared. 

_Kyo was...murdered in cold blood then. Someone...- Akito- had him killed..._

_ I couldn't believe it._

_ I didn't want to believe it. _

_ My life suddenly took on a darker tone and thunder clapped for the show the lighting was putting on._

~*~

_Life is like that, lovely._ I thought, snaking around the corner. A smile was placed on my lips, much like the one the Chester cat from Alice in Wonderland would have worn Playing with them, tying with them...all of it was part of the greater good of corse. But for nor, the more drama, the better. 

For the more drama, the more interesting. After all, what you read and what you watch isn't very different from real life. 

And this was plenty quick. That's enough for me...

For now that is...

~*~

_** ' "Horrors," she said again, looking without binocular vision, staring at the glass in which her presence and Nanny could make out nothing but darkness. "Horrors."...'**_

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Ranting: I'm so sorry that that took so long, but the 'Laptop crises of 03-04' is now over and SH should be back on track. If you want details of this 'problem', contact me. For the story would take up way to much room...

Posting should become regular again, so no worry's. And be ware of a now fic that I might put out again. (Check Bio...) That in itself might zap some creative energy. 

* Note: Last quote take from 'Wicked : The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West written by Gregory Maguire and I, in no way, take credit for the quote. Good book, very good book. Just picked it up...

Well?...How was it!? Did it piss you off, make you angry? Or did it cause you heart to beat widely in your chest with pain felt for a character? Or did you just hate the chapter and feel nothing at all?

Frankly, after reading it over, I got pissed off at 2 characters in this chapter. Just a little, anyway... 

Did this leave you with enough Q's? The only major q I can see is why Kyo would think Akito did that? Does Akito hate Kyo that much? And if so, does that mean he was really murdered? 

Any other qustions you have, please feel free to share them. ^-^

Favorite line: "...and people tend to lie." it's at the beginning. I love this beginning for some reason, and this line at the end of it makes me heart squeeze. You guy's?

Favorite Character: Hunnn...I like Hatori, and Kyo. Gods do I have a lot of stuff planed for Hatori...

Date Finished: February 9th, 2004. 10:43 pm 

Moving along...

*Merei-Chan: Kureno? ~Looks back on previous chapter~ Kureno...~smiles lightly~ nope, but good shot. I haven't read the FruBa series yet (Because I cant read Japanese...~Sigh~) so I don't know that much about him or Rin. They might not even show up in this fic, only if I need them to...please review again!

* Kath: ~Smiles~ I'm glad! But is it Chocolate-addicted or like 'insert-a-very-bad-thing'-addicted? I love kyo too...You know, the more I like a character, the more I intend to torture them. So, so far you can see I like Kyo, Yuki, Tohru, Haru, and Momiji. ~smiles~ And your going to have to figure who the other person is by yourself. He should pop up again time to time, and to say it frankly but not give it away, you've heard form him a lot already ~Wink~ . Yes, and Kyo confirmed it here. Qustions, questions...and ones I really can't answer yet! Some are coming I think...~Looks at her outline~ I hope...~Sigh's~ Well I love long reviews. So keep um coming and I'll see ya next time!

*Yamatoforever: I love Kyo. He's wonderful to write about and has quite a lot of internal problems and such. I'm glad you like him in this...You never know. I have a lot planned, and I'm quite a twisted story teller as you have read. My god you guy's are so close to that answer!! Both you and Kath are sooo close that it hurt...posting as quickly as I can...See ya next time... 

* HanaTenshiHimeko: ~Smiles and pats her on the head~ Well I'm glad you like it. I try putting as much emotion in is as I can, and it seems to be working, ne? Well I'm glad you came back, and come back again!

Thank you guy's for reviewing so much!! I love it when my mailbox had reviews in it, they make my day! Please review again! And please, if you're not too busy and you happen to like my writing style in the fruba universe, read Snow Flakes! It's brand spanken' new and for all those who have waited for this chapter!

And now, the much loved!-

Bonus: Pre-view of the next chap!: (Even though I'm being yelled at to go to bed...)

I felt all the hairs on my arms stand up and he said that, my mouth becoming instantly dry. I dared not so say anything, or to show my pure astonishment, but I tried to deny that he had said anything of the sort. I felt my brain stutter and I watched as my hand starts to shake before me.

_Don't fall apart_ I mentally soothed myself. This place, above all, is not for the week of spirit or mind. I dare not show my sudden hatred in my face for the man who slightly stands in my sight, now slightly leaning against the window. I dare not to show it in my eyes either, for from past experiences I know he can see it there. No, instead I lock it up in the bottom of my heart and pretend to not have heard anything with my super hearing. 

I'm so cooped up in my own thought that I don't even realize he has moved until I feel his soft hand caress my cheek, the same one he slapped the day at the hospital. His grin is chilling, and it takes everything I have not to recoil at the touch. He's almost sitting on me, his legs resting on top of mine and his face inches from my own. I hold my breath automatically.

His eyes are darker then I have ever seen them, deep blue like the bottom of the ocean - almost black. The light in the room cast a shadow that makes his thin frame look a whole lot stronger then I'm capable of being. His hair -up close- is unsecured and disheveled, all of its ends uneven and split. If I hadn't known Akito my whole life, I would have said that he was very handsome in a scary sense. Now, I only know him as someone who's just scary in a sense, and never handsome. 

And then that saying, the one that I loath and the one that rings in my ears days after I've heard him say in, spills from his mouth like water. His eyes are icy, and breath cold against my face, his smile fading. And with that smile statement I know he wanted me to hear what he said. He wanted me to know, and it rings within that simple two word sentence that's almost deafening in the time-looked silence of the room.

"_Good dog_."

...so? Be that left ya with something, ne? 

By the way, I don't own FruBa. This plot and original characters are mine, but not Fruba itself. Please review, and any flame will be laughed at.

Ja till next time!

~SAL-Chan 


	8. Surprises

I am not a strong person... 

I never have been, and I never will be...

Sure I may look like it on the outside. Hell – I've altered my body to make myself look like that. But I'm not really as strong as I must seem, yet people don't seem to understand me...

Sure I can play-strong, I can pretend to be able to stand up every day and pretend that nothing's happening when in reality the world is spinning around me and I just want it to be level again. I wake up every morning with the same thought – 'oh God, here we go again'- and I am forced to do the same thing time after time. Sometimes it gets so hard to breathe and it feels like something is clogging the blood in my veins and making my fingers and feet and brain and heart go numb. The world is slowly closing up around me and it just goes faster and faster and I just **want** it to _**STOP!**_-

-But good God when it does finally stop, and I let myself collapse, I remember. God do I remember everything that has happened, and how, and when, and where such things have happened. I remember everything I hate and dread to remember, yet I remember never the less. 

As soon as I heard he had died, I felt something snap within me that ate up the piece of my heart - an endless void of darkness and pain. There had always been a line of understanding between the two of us, and suddenly he was gone and the line was left disconnected. I was left alone in the world, unable to be understood or understand anyone like that again - for he was gone. Yet that night....

I remember the night I realized he was truly dead, and I finally gave into the brooding feeling at the bottom of my heart and let myself break. 

I was huddled up in my own dark room, shivering with The fever that had to be the highest I can remember having. I barley remember Hatori being there but now he tells me I scared him bad. I was a step or two away from dying – I know that today. I had been killing myself slowly for the past 3 months since his death and I was so thin and so week and so – so tired. I was so tired of it that I almost gave up that night and let The fever take me…

And then…I felt him....

I felt my bickering partner, my senior, by cousin, my good – maybe even my best - friend sitting in my room with me. I kid you not, I felt him. It might be The fevers fault at first, because I suddenly knew that he had been dead for a while and so¼ I accepted. Of course it's more in depth then that, but that was just the way it felt. And suddenly he was there, The fever was fading, and I broke down and realized that I bragged about more strength and pride then I really hade. 

I'm broken, and now – a year later- I finally feel well enough to pick up the pieces of my fragile self-awareness and start to be myself again.

Though I'll never be as strong as I seem on the outside again. Not while I'm still picking up the fragments of myself and remembering what my name is. I have help now though, from him and Tohru.

I need to be strong somehow, no matter what I do. I need my limits to be tested again and I need to see if I can stand on my own two feet. I needed to support someone again¼ myself…. before I can give strength to the others that needed it. And I have...

… At least I have for now ¼ 

Strange Happening's

By SAL-Chan

*Part Eight: Surprises

_**~The ones closet to you are the ones that hurt you the most... ~**_

~*~

The sun was hidden behind light gray clouds that ate at the sky, creating a mild light that captivated the earth. The ground was covered in a blanked of white, snow still cascading down from the sky quieting the earth with its appearance. The trees outside were covered in a film of soft white that was shaken off a single tree by a bird recovering from a short flight out of this room. 

The room itself was cold, yet any large room like this normally was. The wood underneath me was cold enough to slide through my dress pants and attack my legs like no tomorrow, creating goose bumps on my legs as well as my arms. The walls of the room were darker the further away you got from the open screen door, the thin paper on the doors chilled and soaked with water. The fact that he never really had heat on at all in the entire house helped with the endless cold that stretched thought the hall I came from. 

All this cold around me could do nothing but heighten the fear I felt in my heart. The only time I ever felt like this was when I was here, but normally it wasn't this bad. We all share a common fear of Akito, yet people like Hatori and myself are able to hide it. It's an ability I'm not too proud of, but it's the most useful one I have. Well....one of the most useful.

"It's _lovely_....isn't it?" I'm hit with a wave of cold as he speaks, and once again I show my talent as I don't jump when he says anything. I have no idea where I got the ability to remind myself that he talks to everyone like they're a child and not to bark back at him, but I'm grateful for that one as well. 

I don't answer, knowing he didn't want one. I know him well enough to be able to tell the tone of voice that he uses for a question he wants an answer to or when he's simply talking to himself. He shifts in the open doorway, pulling his loose crimson kimono up around his arms again. He never turned his head to notice I'm even here, from the time I stepped in to now - a half an hour later. There is another thing I wonder about having: the ability to sit unnoticed, quiet, and unmoving for a half an hours at a time. 

Quiet settles in again, helped by the snow. I have no idea why he called me here today, I never really had an intention to going out at all in the snow. Yet I was called, and I had to ride here in the snow because it's Akito....I can't disobey Akito, no matter what. I'm strong, but not that strong.

"It's snowing late this year..." He mentions, and once again I keep quiet. 

_Something's up..._ I decide as I close my eyes and take a deep breath, letting it out quietly. _Something is really wrong...._

Not that things haven't been wrong for the past month. Home has been a war zone, for I can't seem to stay on my feet for more then 5 minutes at a time. I know it may seem stupid -falling out of nowhere- but I....I do trip over **something**, I don't just fall. It's strange, but every time I do trip I always feel very cold. And for a moment while I'm falling I always see something, images of things I can't name. There is never enough time for me to understand what they mean, or even remember what the images are before I hit the ground. Yet I know they're always the same picture, the same little movie that goes quicker and quicker until I feel the pain of the floor hitting my face. 

Besides my falling, Tohru has been talking to herself more often. Hatori also told me that Haru's getting sick, Kagura is slowly killing herself, Yuki is a step or to away from being depressed enough for medication and Momiji's starting to act weird once more. The only breakthrough we have had would be Kazuma totally losing it and breaking down before Hatori, begging him to erase his memories - which in turn might not be a good thing at all if that means Kazuma hit his breaking point. My family is slowly falling apart in front of my eyes and for once I can do nothing to help any of them.

My strength is wearing thin. And now I fear that something even worse is going to happen today. I have that sinking feeling in my heart, along with chilling fear this time. The friendly presence that has been around me for the past few months abandoned me at the gate. _I'm alone, weak, and scared - not a good combination if I do say so myself_. 

"Do you enjoy the snow, _Shigure_?" He asked - voice climbing an octave higher as he said my name. These questions I need to answer, it's directed to me and not the air around me. 

"I do." I answer simply, my voice rough from being bottled up for so long. I had been quiet since I said my goodbyes to Hatori at the gate until now. My voice sounds so loud in the room, the walls echoing it through the wooden space. My own voice gave me the chills. 

There was a beat of silence that captivated me, and I'm sure I felt the very tip of something ominous brush against my heart. My fear jumped, and I locked down on that feeling and let that fear fuel me into being able to sit still.

He let a sort sigh go before he spoke. 

"As do I ....Do you think _he_ liked the snow?" His voice was thick with something I had never heard from him: True and utter amusement tinted with black hatred.

Instantly I knew what - actually, **who** - he was talking about and locked my jaw tight. I re-realized at that moment what a sick person he can be at times, and that he loves to show that fact off like a badge.

"I don't think _he_ did. _Cats_... don't like anything _wet_...right?" He turned in the doorway, face just barley visible in the tinted light the sky gave off. A slight smile was on his face, and one of his long fingers brushed his top lip. His dark eyes are still looking out the window, but his body position invites me into his one-sided conversation.

"Well _he's_ saved the trouble of dealing with another winter, hasn't_ he_? I can't **_imagine_** what it _feels_ like....to _hate _the rain so much. Then again, I wouldn't want to **imagine** anything that has to do with him, for I never _wanted_ him here in the first place." I heard a smile in his voice. I felt bile churn in my stomach, yet I bit down on the inside of my cheek and curled my hands into fists, then let them relax again. 

I mentally calmed myself, and I tried to force myself to pretend I was anywhere but here. Yet I couldn't. My mind kept pulling me back to here and now, and I felt sick.

"Then I'm _glad_...." Akito mumbled, now nibbling on the tip of his pointer fingers nail, an eerie liquid like cold gushing out of him and slipping into the room. He gave a short, clipped chuckle and then continued in a hushed voice. "_....that I got rid of him_."

My heart stopped.

I swear to the Gods above me, it stopped right in my chest. 

"It did cost me one, I will admit that." He continued quietly as if I wasn't there, in the same room that was suddenly off center in my eyes. My brain was having a hard time functioning, and I needed to remind myself to breath. He stopped biting the nail and pulled it out of his mouth, eyes now examining his handiwork. He then flicked the spit off the tip of it and rested his arm on his boney knee, looking out to the sky again.

"No matter. You must sacrifice one for the greater good, right? It was just a known fact that **The monster** would happen to die instead of _my_ Hatori and the other two. Fate stepped in where I stepped out, thus playing the perfect role of _a true God_." I felt my skin crawl, and I was very surprised that I hadn't emptied my breakfast on the floor of the room. Pure will and knowledge of what would happen if I actually threw up was all that was keeping me from doing so. Shock shook my mind and my body, and yet I had the ability to sit still and do...nothing.

_ It was my imagination. He couldn't have said that...that's just... _

"I'm very glad I got rid of that....**thing**...." He mumbled, a sneer covering his face and creating a gruesome and branding image.

_He meant it. I could tell in the tone of his voice._

_ He had just admitted to killing him...._

I felt all the hairs on my arms stand up as he said that, my mouth becoming instantly dry. I dared not to say anything, or to show my pure astonishment, but I tried to deny that he had said anything of the sort. I felt my brain stutter and I watched as my hand starts to shake before me. Everything else in the world stops for me as I take a second to try and reboot my mind. _ This couldn't be happening..._

_Don't fall apart_ I mentally soothed myself again, feeling my stomach churn once more. This place, above all, is not for the week of sprit or mind. I dare not show the sudden hatred in my face for the man who sits in my sight. I dare not to show it in my eyes either, for from past experiences I know he can see it there. No, instead I lock it up in the bottom of my heart and pretend to not have heard anything with my sensitive hearing. 

I'm so cooped up in my own thought that I didn't even realize he has moved until I feel his soft hand caress my cheek, the same one he slapped a wile ago at the hospital. His grin is chilling, and it takes everything I have not to recoil at the touch. He's almost sitting on me, his legs resting on top of mine and his face inches from my own. I hold my breath automatically.

His eyes are darker then I have ever seen them, deep blue like the bottom of the ocean - almost black. The light in the room cast a shadow that makes his thin frame look a whole lot stronger then I'm capable of being. His hair -up close- is unsecured and disheveled, all of its ends uneven and split. If I hadn't known Akito my whole life, I would have said that he was very handsome in a scary sense. Now, I only know him as someone who's just scary in a sense, and never handsome. 

And then that saying, the one that I loath and the one that rings in my ears days after I've heard him say in, spills from his mouth like water. His eyes are icy, and his breath cold against my face, his smile frightening. And with that small statement I know he wanted me to hear all of what he said. He wanted me to know, and it rings within that simple two word sentence that's almost deafening in the time-looked silence of the room.

"_Good dog_."

I feel his lips brush against my forehead, yet I keep my eyes level and dead. Slowly he puts his pointer finger to his lips that are curved in to a snarl, in a motion as to keep it a secret. He then straightens himself and walks slowly back to the open door, pulling his kimono up along the way. He slides a hand down the wood of the doorway then leans against it, eyes taking in the sight of the falling snow. His other hand grips at the kimono, clutching tightly to it like a life line. 

"**Go**." Was the simple word the fell from his mouth and all that I needed for the feeling of wanting to get out of this place as quickly as possible hit me. I pulled myself to my feet and somehow managed to walk to the door calmly, turn back to him and bow, then open the door and slide it closed behind me.

The moment I'm in that hallway, I feel myself start to shake. I feel my stomach start to turn again and in a split second I'm at the other end of the hall way and I fling the door open. A quick left and another long hallway takes me to another door and past Hatori, who is now hot on my heels as I yank the last door that stands between me and the outside world open so hard that I believe it broke. I run full force out of the doorway and smack into he banister that wraps around the outside porch, leaning over it instantly as I deposit my breakfast onto the snow covered ground.

I faintly hear Hatori say something as I continue to empty the contents of my stomach onto the ground. I feel his hand on my back rubbing soothingly, yet it's only barley noted by my senses. I can't feel my hands or my feet, the cold numbing everything and for once I'm very glad I can block it all out. Feelings churn and tangle in my heart and I believe I'm screaming in my own mind and I feel a small sob force it's way thought the rest of the guck trying to get out of me as fast as it can. 

I stay bent over the railing for a moment or two to calm myself down. My eyes are dripping now and I feel like I'm a mess of disgusting vomit and betraying tears. My breathing is choppy and shallow and I'm shaking, my skin now an ashen gray of sickness and horror. 

_That had to be the most degrading, ugliest, and horrifying peace of information that I ever walked out of that cursed room with. _

Before another wave of disgust washes over me I clamp down on it and put it away in the bottomless pit of my heart. I let myself feel the cold of the snow, forcing away all other feelings that I could. As my senses come back I feel someone's arms wrapped around my waist along with a hand that slowly rubs my back in a soothing clockwise movement. There's a small hand wrapped around my larger shaking one that I let grip the banister before, and something gently wipes the tears that a falling from my eyes. 

"Shhh....It's all right Shigure. Everything gonna be okay...." I hear Ayame's voice say soothingly as the arms around my waist tighten. I take in a few shaken breaths before my tears stop altogether. The person who was wiping my eyes whips around my quivering mouth before the hand fades away. I take in another breath before I straighten myself, the small hand that was over mine falling off. The hand that was circling my back settles itself in the middle of my shoulder blades as those arms around my waist fall away also.

"What happened?" Hari's ruffled voice makes me smile and I comb a shaken hand through my tossed hair and open my eyes that I didn't even realized I had closed. Haru's sitting on the banister to my right side, a wet handkerchief in his hand and a somewhat worried look on his flushed face. All of his hair is pulled back as far as he could get it today, wrapped by a rubber band into a ponytail. Kisa was on my other side, hands clasped together in front of her chest, eyes wide with worry. Ayame's long snow white hair flutters into view with the whisk of the wind, and I see a flutter of long gray hair on the other side and the gray fire burnt color of Kazuma's outer kimono is barley visible. Hari's hand still doesn't move from its perch on my back.

_ I'm safe. Right here and now I'm as safe as I will ever be, and I'm needed as well._ I feel my strength rushing back into my quivering and suddenly exhausted body, and I take a deep breath.

"....Nothing." I say slowly, my voice clogged and grimy. I feel so dirty now, so unclean and unworthy. I need time to think, and no better time then later to do that thinking. Right now I needed a cigarette...

"But-" Haru started but cut himself off as I saw Kazumas hand wave at him. I cleaned the corners of my mouth myself with my own sleeve - knowing fully well that I'm not going to feel clean for a long time no matter what I do- and turn around to face Hatori.

His arms are crossed over his chest, dark bangs covered in snowflakes. His eyes are stormy and worried but as soon as our eyes connect he instantly knows I'm not going to say anything about what happened in there. I never tell anyone what Akito says to me unless he tells me to say something to someone else. Slowly he sticks his hand into the front pocket of his shirt and pulls out a box of cigarettes -that I know he always has on him- and pulls one out, handing it to me. I take it calmly with shaking hands and place it on my lips, and it's lighted instantly. 

_ Thank anything for cigarettes right now. It I'll kill me in the end, but I'm living now and that's all that matters…._

_ That's all that matters…._

There is a moment of silence between all 6 of us, and then Kisa slips up again my side and wraps her arms around my waist. I hear Haru sigh as he jumps off the other side of the railing and misses my mess by a foot or two, and follows his own footsteps back from wherever he came. 

"Are you going to be all right?" Ayame asks, golden eyes more relaxed. I sigh against my will and answer.

"No, but I will be later...." I say truthfully, then I give Kazuma a thankful look and he just gives me a slight grin in response.

"....can I get a ride home?" I ask Hatori, knowing fully well how old I sounded at that moment – about 12 or so. Frankly I don't care; I just want to go home - somewhere far away from here. I want to burn my skin in the shower, then take a long nap, and then think. I'll think when I feel clean....

He turns back into the hallway I burst out of before, grabbing our jackets and my shoes. "I'll be back later." He says over his shoulder as I slip the shoes over my wet white socks and pull my jacked on, taking another drag of my cigarette. I give my other two old friends and smaller cousin a slight smile and a wave at their worried faces, then turn and follow Hatori out of the Sohma compound and to his car. 

They know I'm not gonna be all right, they know me well enough. I have never, in all the years I have been Akito's lap Dog - ignore the badly placed but true pun- reacted to a meeting with him so strongly like I did today. Right now I don't even know what's going on inside my head, I'm completely numb to my thoughts and my feelings and flowing on true autopilot now. 

I have a feeling all of my blind fate and devotion are staring me down the wrong path at the moment, and that those feelings are going to drive me insane. 

_ But...had I really just listened to all of that? If so, reality would be falling on its head, which is pretty much what has happened in the past few minuets. But could it be logical to think that...that anything - anyone would do such a thing._

_ Did Akito really just admit that he killed him?_

I'm suddenly hit with another strong craving: for brandy, tequila, or vodka. It all depends on who is home when I get there, and what we have, in that order. 

I'm going to need a **LOT** of time to think.... 

~*~

He sighed, letting out a long stream of smoke that formed circles around the open room. I watched it as the cold air from the wind pull out the smoke from the room and replace it with cold air. I watched it flow into the crystal blue sky. He blew his shaggy black hair out of his eyes and leaned back against the wall of the house, and I sighed again and leaned against the pole next to me.

Tohru and that rat were off at school, a place I really didn't want to be anymore. I've take all the _Tear-ing_ energy I could from that place and the only thing I can feed off from there is Tohru herself. So far I've taken noting from her...

"Ne K-yo, you haven't visited Kazu-sama yet." 

I sighed and gave my other invisibles bystander a look, and sighed again. He just keeps popping up.

He shifted up next to me, black never-ending eyes soaking up the sunlight. A grin was laced on his face, crinkling the corners of his odd eyes. I snorted and the comment and turned toward the dog. Shigure exhaled another thick line of smoke and I stretched my hand out toward it, yet the smoke passed right through me.

"You should know better." He spoke, his light tenor out of place at this house. "You can't interact with those who do-"

"-'don't believe'. I know, I know for cryin' out loud!" I whipped around to face him, a glare that I normally save for that damn Yuki aimed at him. "Ya don't gotta keep reminding me!"

He frowned, one eyebrow rising. He crossed his arms, his white semi-long short sleeved shirt reaching his elbows. _Pure white was the only think he ever had on, and it made my eyes hurt every time. _

"You don't have to yell, I'm only hear to help-"

"-Some _freken_' help." I cut in, my eye twitching ever so slightly. He huffed out his next breath, a frown wrinkling his nose. 

"Listen Kyo, " He said, voice dropping into a more serous tone. He face became grave suddenly, and I felt as if I was about to be yelled at. "I know it's hard now, but we have passed the hard part. I know it may seem like there is a long rode in front of you, but depending on which way your turn it's either gonna be an even longer one or you'll come to a dead stop quickly." 

I sighed and pushed myself off the porch and up to the roof, stepping onto it with no sound at all. My bare feed didn't even touch the snow, the cold didn't radiate onto my feet. There was a throbbing in my heart, but I pushed it away again and looked toward my field.

"It's dead." His mellow voice was almost as light as the wind. _I really didn't want him here, I never wanted him here, and I didn't need him._

"Wanna bet? You need me more then you think." I watched as a feather fell from the sky and landed on the snow before my foot. I sighed again - despite my best intention- and blinked at the vast field of endless white that stretched into the Sohma property behind the house._ I hated the snow, almost as much as I hated the rain. It made me feel so...dirty. I have always felt dirty when in snowed, cause you remember that anything born is as white as the snow that falls. To think that anyone would turn a different shade of white is slightly disheartening._

_Geez, I'm gettin sentimental..._

_ ....but....I'm starting to feel the same why I did before that damn rat's accident. God only knows what that meant for the rest of my family. _

" Kyo, everything should work out alright." Wind brushed passed my ears and he shot toward the end of the roof, a pair of white angel wings sticking out from his back. He turned to me - hovering feet away - bright orange hair out of place against so much white. A grin was on his face, his sole-eating black eyes kinder with the bright light of the sun directly on them. 

"After all, I wished to live again as well - a request that was...." He shifted his sights to the sky and away from me for a moment, tucking his leg underneath him much like the way I did. His smile was now more...wishful then before. "...._denied_ for obvious reasons before. Yet 100 years later you happen to come along and get my wish, like so many before you. You seem to be the only candidate so far to be able to get this far ahead of the game."

I huffed at him, eyes narrowing once again.

"I don't wanna have another one of theses **stupid** conversations!" I let my voice rise slightly, laced with my anger that was bottle up inside. All my frustration was turning into anger and my morbid fear of...other things fueling the fire of anger. I was about to let myself continue to vent but something stopped me. It might have been the sudden awareness of what he told me, but I'm not sure that's all. I watched his eyes lighten in shades, blackness echoing away to form a light violet color that mine tended to turn when I…lost something. I wasn't as surprised as I was the first time I met him....

....Him being Sohma Kyosetsu, the 100%, no-doubt-about-it, authentic, first and true Jyuunishi Cat. 

He is the first version of me, and the reason I take on....my other form. 

He is that part of me, the part that turns me into a monster, the part I understand the least but the most at the same time.

I **hate** him, but I need him as much as I hate him. He's the only other person that knows what I'm like..._inside_. What goes through my head at times when know one else knows. 

He's also the reason I'm here now. His wish to be reborn - the one he made 100 years ago - is the one I'm using right now. 

"'_Bring tears to me, I'll wake again. Bring joys to me, my heart shall beat. Bring happiness, bring circumstance, bring love, bring you, and all shall be forgiven. Take thin wish and do depart, for there's much to be done. For once the sun rises in the east twice years later...Thy sole shall forever be mine'_….It's my prophecy ya know. I hold true to it, always have and always will. " He turned away, sun wavering the white feathers on his wings and his robes. His smile was sincere as it could be, and my troubled mind wondered once again why he was first cursed - why any of us were cursed- with being that cat. He held up two fingers at me, a grin coming to his face and the international peace sing was flashed.

"To tell ya the truth, I'm impressed with you K-yo. You did in three months what those before you couldn't do in two years. Now keep it up. I want to get one of you back down there - alive an kicking again- before your time is up. You got enough tears to last you for as long." He continued, placing both of his hands behind his head with his elbows up high. _So that's what it looked like from the other side..._

"And frankly-" He continued a true smile now on his face. "- I don't really want your soul. I think I've had my fill...for now at least." 

"I don't want to give ya my freken' soul" I spat out, wrinkling my own nose. "I'm not gonna-!"

"-then visit Kazuma!" Kyosetsu interjected, waving his arms around like a smaller child with a grin still on his face. "Then get Ru-chan to start working the _magical voodoo _that she has over this family so they all finally smack they're heads on the wall and come to grips that you're dead and get over it."

"**Shut up**!" I growled, eyes narrowing. He makes me so _frustrated_!! "What do you know! I can't push Tohru to do anything for me! She's already in enough trouble because of me and I can't make her do anything else...I can't..." I had lost my flame. I was tired of this conversation - this argument. It hadn't been the first time he frustrated me beyond rational thought, until I wanted to rip my own head off. 

T_ohru was my only reason now, as sick and as sad as that sounds, for even being here any more. At least Kyosetsu confirms that for me, telling me time and time again that she's my anchor to this world and the only reason I** really **am here. Her tears on the one's that opened the gate for my soul to come back, as weird and mystical as that sounds. _

_ Placing my only hope on her as well doesn't seem fair. I've caused her so much grief, so much pain. _

_ I hated myself for it._

_ I hated myself, I hated him, I hated everyone but her...I could never hate her._

_ God... I really am that sad, aren't I? _

_ Geez..._

"Keep safe, K-yo." Kyosetsu says, still grinning. He extended his white angel wings so they were the same length as the house. I knew he was leaving, and suddenly I didn't want to be left alone. I wanted him to stay here until Tohru got home.

_ I don't want to be alone._

"Keep watch over Gure-sama, and give Kazu-San a visit later. You'll be surprised at what you find." 

Before I manage to catch his eyes with my surprised ones, there was a gust of wind and flashes of silver-white. And then he was gone, another lone feather falling to the ground a few feet from me. 

_ He's such a sadist, I swear, I can tell he enjoys this stupid game. He knows that I can't get to Kazuma's without anyone who hasn't gone through_ Tear-ing, _and the only persons who could take me to the compound that have would be Tohru, or Haru - and I can't ask either. I'm not risking fading into nothing on my way there thankyouverymuch._

I sighed and 'sat' on the roof, my face directed at my dead, snow covered field. I would give anything to be able to see it with my real eyes again, to be able to feel the grass move against my legs and I trained, to train at all. 

_ If I could just get this whole 'get you soul back' process over with already, everything would be honky-dory..._

_ H…honky-dory?!...I can't believe I just thought that. I'm spending too much time with Tohru...not that that's a bad thing of course. Cause it's not...not in a sick way I mean-OH never mind!!!_

I grinned at my field. _I may be pathetic and dead, but I swear on my name that I will be alive again once this is done and over with. I'm strong enough-...we're strong thought to get thought this, even that rat-fink. _

_ And maybe for once I'll trust that girly-boy. I know together - all of us- somehow and some way we can do this..._

_ I hope I'm not overestimating everyone. It would suck if I was…_

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ranting: Sorry that took so long... I just couldn't pull myself together to write this. It's getting a lot harder as I go along. Is that because the story is getting more and more twisted and interesting? Or am I become lazy?...eeh! Which ever it is it doesn't matter. I'm getting the story out and that's that.

Tech started up again, so that's my excuse for slow writing for a little. And after tech I have to worry about TG Banquet, then finals...Oy...thank God for vacation. I'm also trying to cope with writing another story on the side...in fact I have 2 other-not 3 others story's to battle with.

BTW: Does anyone here know a place where a newbe writer for GW/AC 2x1x2 can put her stuff up? I'm writing something and I need to find a place to post it, but everywhere says they need a website to link it to or something like that. If anyone does, contact me at DragonQueen222@aol.com. You would be my hero/heroine. 

Anyway, onto this fic....

Well?!?! How was that for lovey-dove family things? And can you tell I like/don't like Akito? He's the perfect evil character and I'll tell you why. You can tell he's hiding things but he's oh strong mentally for you to be able to challenge and question him. Right? And one of my OC characters has a name! Meet Kyosetsu, or 'that-other-orange-haired-guy-that-knows-dead-Kyo'! What do ya think of him now? Any thoughts...come on, fire away! 

Any questions you have don't be afraid to ask. I answer some in this chapter...one especially that gave me the beginning. Give me ideas on what you would like to happen, what you will think happen, and what you would hate to happen in the end. The ending of this story is still undecided, and I'm leaving it up to you to guide me for that. Lucky readers, getting to control a story...I wish I could control it...geez. 

Favorite Line: "I'm suddenly hit with another strong craving: for brandy, tequila, or vodka." -Shigure

Favorite Character: Shigure. Shigure, Shigure, Shigure!! I admire the dog so much! He has so much hidden strength in the anime and I love that about him. He can control himself so well...I'm so proud of him in this story. Though it's slim picking's, how bout you?

*A question I would like answered: Do you like the OC character? Just give me a yes or no, pretty please with sugar on top. 

Date Finished: March 24th, 2004. 8:33 pm

Moving along...

*Misaki: ~Bows~ Thank you, thank you. I know it was a bit hard to understand the transition between people, but I molded it like that. I made it so you had to think about who the person was. The laptop thing is finished, and over with. But I'm getting a new keyboard this week so it will be out again for a few days. Gomen about that, but I will be writing on the other comp until I get it back. Sorry that this wasn't as long, but I believe there is a lot to soak up and understand totally. Yet I already know this chapter isn't that clear, and things are left unanswered but that's part of the plot. Thanks again.

*Enjen: So you have been reading along have you? Well thank you very much. Yours were the questions I answered, and the reason he doesn't visit Kazuma was vaguely outlined but that will be known later on. Kyo will talk about something called 'Tear-ing' and that's when you want to listen to find that answer later on. I think I will answer the other question in more depth when 'Tear-ing' comes up, so come back and read for it! Thanks!!

*dalpin crage: I'm a big supernatural fan. Angels, Magic, Rebirth, people changing into animals....the whole nine yards- as you can see. I love Kyo too, and thank you for the review. 

*Kath:Ya know what...I agree. I think it's because I lost my laptop for a wile and I lost my train of thought then had to go back and be able to fit into it again. And I think the story's getting slow too, well not now but in the other chapter...~Smiles~ thank you, I though they would be cool. It's new, and he has (will have) more btw. Kagura ...Aah, Kagura. She's going to be and interesting one, for she holds a key [not saying anymore]. ~Grins evilly~ that's what Shigure did. Are my POV changes that hard? Really? Well I'll se what I can do about them, but I'm not to sure if I can do anything. More is on the way, I can tell you that.

*HanaTenshiHimeko: LOLO! Glad you guy's like the magic thing. I'm trying! I'm so sorry about the by the way. I'm just so busy with school, and friends, and side jobs I have been given. I'll try to get them up faster. Many thanks and welcome!

*Kaze no Iisuto: Thank you for the heart felt review. I love hearing that my writings make other happy. I'm trying the best I can to keep them as FruBa like as I can. It's getting hard though. ~Smiles~ don't we all? Thanks!!

*Yamatoforever: Answered you first question in the beginning. I also answered you your 'Why didn't he visit Kazuma?' question too. Kyo has tried to visit him, trust me on this [I'll tell ya later. That comes up again.] but he couldn't. That another thing to do with the concept of 'Tear-ing' Which will be explained later! No worries! Just wait to find out what I'm talking bout. There's also an answer to the last question as well, but you also need to wait for that too...sorry. Thanks for the review and I'll talky to you next time!!

Oh, sorry guy's but ya might want to know why the formats gonna be different on the next chapter. The next chapter is called *Mini Story: Shigure. The Mini Story series takes place within the story, just I can't write two things happening at once. The mini Story's are a one person POV [Shigure's, Momiji's, Kagura's, Kyo's, etc.] and will most likely be either aghast, develop the plot further, add vital information to the readers, or the character in question will have a sudden understanding of some situations. 

Don't worry, long chapters are coming your way. 10 is going to be quite long, and then a few down the road. 11 and 12 are going to be split up because putting that one idea in a single chapter would be toooo long and take too much time. I think 15 and 16 will be long, and I haven't planned any other chapters out after 19. So help me in guiding the story. Please and thank you!

Sorry once again, but there wont be a bonus for the mini [that wont be so mini] chapter...gomen!!

By the way, I don't own FruBa. This plot and original characters are mine, but not Fruba itself. Any twisted, enhanced psychotic tendency, morbid reactions, deep and well deserved brooding and/or beating ones self up that happen to appear in the story are mine and I stake fill clams with some help. Please review, and any flame will be laughed if not ignored. Please, have a nice day!

Ja till next time!

~SAL-Chan


	9. Mini Chapter One: Shigure

Strange Happening's

By SAL-Chan

*Part Nine: Mini Chapter 1 - Shigure

_**"The only way to treat something deadly serious is to treat it lightly..."**_

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

The snow always made me feel comfortable. I had never really realized how much the snow can calm me until I had so much on my mind. The way snow can sit on top of everything and cover it in a film of cold amazes me to a great extent, and I find myself grateful for something to focus on other than the thoughts circling inside my head.

I leaned back against the wall of the house as another feather floated from the sky. My fingers were numb and I could almost feel my nose through the thick cold that captivated my face. I took another long drag form my cigarette, letting the calm numbing feeling wash over me. 

I didn't want to feel. 

I didn't want to know.

I didn't want the trust, the loyalty that came with my position. 

...My position...

Gods...I am a dog...

Is it just because I'm the dog that I torture myself so? Or is it because I'm a masochist and I enjoy they pain inflicted on myself for having the right mind to stay quiet? Do I like the attention it gets me? Am I so sick and twisted that I like feeling helpless inside myself and forcing all my strength to others who need it more? What is the real reason Akito said what he did? Is it he who does the torturing; do I torture myself by allowing myself to be the only person in agony? 

I don't want to be this loyal.

I don't want to have to understand everyone. 

I want to be normal. I want to be...a person... a person who doesn't have to worry about being touched by the opposite sex. Who can enjoy the true freedom of other writers. Who can fly to distant country's and experience things others normally experience and not have to worry about their family at home. 

I should stop teasing myself with things I'll never have. I should try to accept the responsibilities given to me from being born into this family. I should try to take on the role I was given and live to my fullest potential. Maybe I could even change the role of the Dog in the Jyuunishi if that's at all possible...

...Could it be possible? Could we change the curse at all, or lift it? Is there even a cure to the curse? Would it be attainable? I'm sure it would be, the only problem would be finding it. There has to be a way, for most curses have a cure and this one shouldn't be a exception. 

...Right?

I blinked, trying to remember why I ever had these questions floating around my head in the first place. I curled my legs up to my chest and looped my arms around them, placing my head on my knees and letting out a sigh. I let my eyes slip shut, thinking.

I remember when I was younger and these thoughts were introduced to me, before the others were born - when it was just me, Hatori, and Ayame. When my first God figure - Hisoka - was still alive and Yukari and Simai - the Rat and the Cow- would let us out of the compound and sick us on the Sohma's that lived around us. Those were good times of an innocent child, and I loved every moment - Hisoka had no interest in tormenting the three of us at all. Life was fine for a while, and then Hisoka died.

We had no God...

It was a shock for all of us younger kids. We had never been without Hisoka, and I can speak for myself when I say I had been scared of what would happen without him. 

It was right after Hisoka died and I first over heard Yukari, Simai, and Maro - the rabbit-, talking about what would happen now. About how the rest of us would survive for the time without a God. 

Yukari had said something about having a central God power and that it had something to do with breaking the curse, that now was the time to act. Simai then said something about a Sohma getting pregnant and I remember the chill that had passed through the set of sliding doors. I remember them sliding open, and Yukari's cold and long fingers wrapping around my arms and pulling me into the room. I remember her being very pretty and very pale, and she always had really long hair. I can't remember for the life of me what color it was, but it was lighter then her ocean blue eyes. She was always very thin and looked very frail, but she was strong. She was always strong, and I remember always looking up to her and her strength, for as of then we all relied on her guidance. 

Compared to Yukari, Simai was very old. Her hair was snow white and her skin was a gray color. She looked brittle and broken, but the glint in her black eyes was one I remember well- the one Haru has in his now. I also remember the smell of death that she reeked of at the time, and I remember coughing and sneezing the entire time I was in that room. Maro looked almost as young as me, curly blond hair and cherry wood eyes. She never talked very much, but she always had a smile on her face. If I remember correctly, she killed herself two weeks later. 

"_Shigure..._" Yukari had said, voice quiet and eyes stern. "_You mustn't speak of anything you hear, understand? No one must know that you've been included in this conversation._" I didn't understand why she told me this at that time, but I do now. She was protecting me, and informing me of what I would never be told when Akito came into power - what questions I should ask myself from time to time. She told me beforehand that the previous dog- Hitoko- was the one who told her all of this before he died saying that he needed this information given to me. 

I guess all dog's are constantly at they're masters heals. I'm not the only one... 

"_Shigure, you must keep you mouth shut no matter what. You need to keep everything your God tells you to yourself and not let the others know. It's for the best of the group, though I know it might hurt you a lot more then it looks like it hurt me._" I was young at the time, five or six. I didn't know really know what she was talking about, but I nodded my head anyway and smiled up at her. I told her 'I'll do anything you say, Yu-Chan' and smiled wider. She looked so sad at that moment as she patted my head. They continued on their conversation and I sat they're quietly as they talked for the next few minuets, unknowingly training myself for years of doing this same thing.

And at the end of that short conversation, they split up for the last time. Maro went home, and that was the last time I saw that lovely vision again. Simai ran a hand through my hair and blessed me, saying something of the double cursed years or something along those lines. I had no idea what she was talking about, nor did I care. Now, looking back on it I'm puzzled. She told me something important, I know it now, but I don't know exactly what it was. I can't remember it that celery either. 

I sat in that room with Yukari for another minuet as she pulled a book out of her loose kimono and wrote something in it. I remember asking her what it was, but I don't remember what she said it was for. I remember it was then that she grabbed me and gave me a hug, her shoulders shaking and her eyes leaking.

"_The Rat, the Cow, the Dog, the Rabbit, the Tiger, the Sheep, the Boar, the Horse, the Dragon, the Rooster, the Shake, the Monkey...they're all the same spirit as they have been._" She told me, her voice still fresh in my mind. _"I can't change it Shigure, but you can. You all can, you and your years. I no longer have power, but you do. Things will be different for you, I can see it."_

I gave her a puzzled look and asked what she was talking about, and why she was crying. She just shook her head and smiled, laughing with a hitch. 

"_You'll break it Shigure. It will be them..._"She smiled sadly, and it was at that moment she gave the book she had been writing in to me and pushed me away from her, yelling something about the next Rat and destiny. She then screamed something else that I can barely remember, and that was when the stench of death hit my nose again. It was so sharp and so exact that I remember my eyes tearing and I remember gagging on the smell. The rest of what happened seemed like a dream.

My strong and determined Yukari feel to her knee's, and a noise I can't describe came forth from her. And then I was yanked from the room as the smell became stronger, and then suddenly it was blown away in the wind. I was on the ground outside the room that would later become Akito's, staring into it with large eyes. Hatori's arms were looped around my middle. I heard Ayame's voice die on his lips before he could call for help. I'm not sure if they believe what they saw, but I know what it was. I know exactly what it was, and what had happened. 

Yukari had died, right then and there in front of me. And now there was another figure in the room standing over Yukari's body, but it didn't stay very long. Something like a dark shadow rushed through that room so quickly that it sucked in the wind from outside. That smell became overpowering once again as the first figure rushed passed me with the smell of peppermint, followed by the quick black fog that made me gag. 

The elder that found us like that had been surprised. I hadn't moved from my place on the floor, Hatori's arms looped around me and Ayame's standing inches for Hatori- the three of us looking shell shocked. That was the moment I had grown up, and suddenly I was around the age of 20. For the longest time I had a say in what was happening with the cursed Sohma's, even though there were only 4 or 5. I still do slightly...

Then, Akito was born.

We knew almost instantly who he was. The were a sudden link between the 4 of us - now adding Kureno whom was quiet and just a year younger- and Akito. A year or something later Kagura was born and introduced to us, and then Ritsu and Yuki showed up one day with Ayame. Rin managed to sneak into some games once in a wile, but her face was rarely ever seen. Then Haru and Momiji came, and it was around then that I was first introduced to Kyo...

...Kyo...and the monster that rested inside of him. After I witnessed his transformation, I figured everything out. I knew what had happened to Yukari and what happened afterwards. That smell that made me gag was the spirit of the Cat, and the permit was from the Rat. 

The Cat had chased the Rat away and into another body.

We held the spirit of the real zodiac within us. Thus the reason Kyo would transform - he had the real spirit of the cat in him. 

The memory got me thinking. If he had the Cat in him, does that mean I hold the real Dog spirit in me? If so, does that mean I have Hitoko's spirit as well? Does Yuki have the Rat spirit in him, along with Yukari's and all the others? Do they all live within us? 

Then there's another thing to consider. 

What if you just swap positions?...What then? 

Lets say I were to die, could Hitoko's soul be the next Dog? Would he be born again as the Dog, and would I fall asleep within him? Do we keep swapping places? Or am I a totally new soul that happened to be infused with the spirit of the Dog? Will the next pore soul that is possessed by the Dog be someone who could have accomplished so much more than I will?

Makes you dizzy, right?

Now about this time I was in my second year of High School. I still held onto that book that Yukari gave me, yet I had not been able to open it since. I also had in my possession 7 other book's exactly like that one, given to me in secret by their past holders. As of now I have 10, and each and every one of them has a symbol of one of they Jyuunishi on them. I'm missing the Dogs, the Cats, the Dragon's, and the Rabbits.

Now you may be asking why there are 14 and not 13. You are forgetting the God's book, which I'm sure has the key to all of our troubles in it. The book is large and old, at least 100 something years. I hold onto it, and no one but Akito knows I have it.

He wants it, I know, but has said noting about get it back. Instead he holds onto my book, along with the other three. So here's another choice I need to make: Should I give Akito his book to get mine, or keep his and let the information in my book rot away? 

I've stuck with my choice to keep his book for 8 years now, and I'm stuck. I need to know - no, I crave to know what is in my book more than anything else in the world. There could be so much information in theses book that could help up so much.

They could also kill us slowly. 

Frankly, I'm quite afraid of what is in Akito's book. I'm also afraid of what's in Yuki's, Hatori's, Kyo's, and mine.

They could tell us everything we need to know. Everything that all the other cursed Sohma's knew, what they felt, what they found out. But knowing Akito, if I even went to him now to trade book's, he would let everyone else know about the book I hold onto. He knows full well what damage these books could to to everyone, and he would use that to his advantage somehow.

Akito is one disturbed person. 

I felt myself back in my mortal body at that moment and I sucked in a breath, shivering. _Now's a good a time as any, _I thought to myself. _Your treading on the past already..._

Akito killed Kyo. Gods, he really killed him, didn't he?

Hatori almost died, along with Momiji and Kisa. Kyo died...he's dead...And Akito admitted to killing him.

I felt my heart crush, and I felt my my breath stutter. No one knew, no one else had a thought about that, no one even suspected it was not a car accident. I felt my brow wrinkle.

Why did we just pass it off as a accident? Why didn't we look into it? Hatori's a good driver, he wouldn't hit anything if he was trying to. Then he had to be hit...and from the way it looked... it looked like the car was impaled at a high speed. The front of it was crushed in like a tin can. They had been hit by the other car, where the driver was killed as well. 

It couldn't have been an accident. The other car didn't even look like it swerved or tried to avoid Hatori's car.

It was planned. 

He was murdered.

He was dead.

The cycle was broken. 

Things were royally going to fall apart, if they hadn't already. 

_Everything was going to fall apart._

I felt my world shutter again, like it had in the hospital, about a year ago. I felt the same way I did days ago in the back yard, Kyo's realm, the day Yuki was hit. I berried my head in my arms, and I felt like a 6 year old again. 

I had missed my child hood altogether. I had year or two of it, but this curse striped it away from me when Yukari died. I wanted it back so badly, I wanted to give it to all the others who had theirs striped away as well. But I couldn't...I cant do anything...

I cant help anyone. I cant do anything at all.

I couldn't help...I could do nothing...

"Don't beat yourself up over nothin, ya stupid Dog..." 

I don't think I could have yanked my head up any faster at that voice. There was no passable way that I could hear...but...

He stood next to me, dressed in the same thing he had been wearing when we saw him off the day he died. He was leaning against wall, crimson eyes looking out toward the snow covered ground of the back yard. His orange hair shifted in the crisp winder breeze, and he brushed it out of his face with a quick movement. It looked as if his feet stuck to the floor, and it looked as if he really leaned against the wall.

I felt my eyes go wide, another tear falling from my eye - I hadn't even realized I had shed any at all. He sighed and looked at me, a slight grin on his face that moved a ripped part of his cheek. I felt my thoughts stop. 

"What the hell are ya starin at?" He scoffed, a slight growl incased in his voice. It was...it was...

Holey crap...

Somehow, someway, in some twisted universe far, far away, things just got a hell of a lot more complicated. 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ranting: This one was short, but I put it out fast. It gives you a lot of insight on what is in Shigure's head, and how he thinks in the story. He gave you a lot of information to work with, along with names. Now I'm sorry I was chucking names at you, but I have a lot planned now. I've had some time to think of what I want to happen, and now - I'm sorry to say- I believe the story will extend for a few more chapters...

See, now... I have a idea. And though I might be breaking the fourth wall, I'm going to do it. At least... I'm going to try...

Anyway!... in-depth thoughts on the fic. 

In this chapter Shigure told us about part of his past, about his thoughts, and about how he felt. Truthfully, I think I have Shigure's character down pat, and now all I need to do is work on Yuki's. He's the only one I think I need to work on, him and Tohru. I'm totally captured by Shigure, he's second in my book of Fruits Baskets {Kyo being the first}. He's extremely hard to understand for the pure fact that you don't really get a change to get into Shigure's head in the series. Okay, I'll shut up about this now... 

So did you like it? Anything you don't get? Any questions, comments, anything?

Favorite line: "Somehow, someway, in some twisted universe far, far away, things just got a hell of a lot more complicated." The last line, and this is an actual comment that I thought to myself. 

Favorite character: Is there really a point in me asking this? {Shigure} Well I happen to like my OC's, but that's me of cores...

*Note: OC: Original Character. A character created by the author that usually has a major part in the story. Most OC's are hated because they interfere with the real characters. In this story the OC characters created are going to be either past Sohma's, angels, or other ghosts. 

If you guy's are getting confused with the OC characters, they're a chart I'm going to put up on my Bio page with info about them. I'll add to the list as other's show up. 

Date Finished: April 11th, 2004. 3 :39 pm.

Moving along...

*Caer: LOL. 'In a good way'? I love that saying... ~Raises her eyebrows~ Your a Yaoi fan? Well I'm sorry I disappointed you, but the plot took the front seat in this one. Glad you like it despite it, and I hope your neck is ok. ~Grins then Sighs~ Yea, well I'm sorry. I rushed the last chapter a little to much. Please keep reading, and I hope to hear from you again!

*Misaki the Assasin: Thank you, thank you. Tear-ing, yes yes. And that's okay, I'm to tired to think most of the time as well. Your allowed to be like that once in a wile so no big. Sorry bout the AOL thing. I have a really bad habit of ignoring my IM's and reading something. If you want to get to me, sent a chat. That gets over the away message. And i know...spelling...I'm sorry. When i finish the story, I'll go back and fix everything until it's perfect. ~Grins and waves back~ Talk to you later...

*HanaTenshiHimeko: He's evil, he's crud, but he's the perfect evil character! ^-^! Don't worry, as you can see from the graphic description of my dear Kyo's death, I'm violent as well! Is this soon enough? Nice and quick, right? It might take a wile for the next one...sorry...

*Kath: Thanks. Aah, Kyosetsu, my all time favorite OC. Glad you like him, for he will be back. ~Grin's~ I have a beta now, and thank you very much for that! I'm sucking in English now, and that verb tense thing is messing me up. Thanks and I'll send you chapter 10 soon. 

*yamatoforever: Quite crazy! lol! ~Winks~ Glad you caught that. Now, predict the next one and see if you get it right. All the power to ya! Thanks! 

*Kiku-san: Everybody cry's! It's a good-bad thing that I make you cry. I'm sorry if your nose got all read afterwards. YAY! glad you like it!! Read again, and thank you!

And now, the much loved!-

Bonus's: Pre-view of the next chap!: (Even though I'm being called down for family interaction...)

"Screw you Yuki! You not worth _my time!_"

"Forget you Kyo! Your not worth _anything!_ You never were to begin with, and you aren't now!"

I had thought that would be it for now, and that even though he went storming off we would fight again when the got home. And we would fight in the morning about how immature he still was even though he was 'older', and we would fight over what we would be eating that night. I though we would fight about school work - of lack of school work- and that we would fight over Tohru for Prom. I thought that we would fight about what jobs we were going to have, where we were going to live, and why we had to see each other at family gathering's. 

But I thought wrong. 

I saw him twice after that fight, once in the hallway of the hospital and I yelled out his name along with everyone else, and the last time when I had gotten into the emergency room and watched his had fall from Tohru's. All sound in the room stopped, and the two of them were then the only other people I could see. I watched his eyes close and i watched ad blackness engulfed his body in my vision, leaving the pure white around Tohru tinted gray.

A second later, I passed out. 

I never saw him again. 

And in that black abyss that took me from the emergency room, a part of me was sick with worry that the Cat would come after it. It chorused the same thought over and over again, something about **'It** coming to get me', and'**It** would never let me get away'. 

Another part of me felt like I had died along with him. That on some other unearthly level a connection we had through our bickering and fighting was broken and would never be right again. The person I wanted to be so much more then myself was gone and would never come back. I was disconnected from someone I knew had one of the biggest connections with myself, yet I refused to admit it. 

When I woke up and they told me he had died, I didn't cry. 

When we went the the funeral and I had to sit and watch Tohru cry to herself because not one of us could comfort her, I didn't cry.

When I watched the coffin being dropped into the cold and wet ground on that rainy Sunday - he day after his birthday- and realized that there were only 6 people - Myself, My brother, Shigure, Tohru, Hana, and Uo- there to watch him be berried, I didn't cry. I didn't cry and as Shigure took Tohru back to the hospital to sit and pray for Momiji's life for hours upon hours. 

Yet after a hour of staring down at the slowly filling hole in witch his body lay wall standing next to my brother, who only after a hour wrapped his arms around me in a warm and wet embrace, murmuring quietly in a soothing tone, and when I didn't push him away yet instead grabbed onto him like a life line i never had as a child did I let myself shed tears that were simply washed way by the ever present rain.

Tears or regret. Tears for Tohru and all her loss at this, for the horror that Momiji, Hatori, and Kisa had to go through because of this, for the pain I witnessed in everyone's faces, of the satisfaction I had seen in Akito's when he was told of the news, for the pain I knew everyone had taken away from this one thing.

I didn't cry for him. I couldn't...I wouldn't...

But now I... 

That's it!!! ...think about it. I know it's a bit long, but think about it. The next chapter will probably be a long one, for a lot more events and things will be explained. Oh, and bring tissues, cause you might need them. 

By the way, I don't own FruBa. This plot and original characters are mine, but not Fruba itself. Any twisted, enhanced psychotic tendency, morbid reactions, deep and well deserved brooding and/or beating ones self up that happen to appear in the story are mine and I stake fill clams with some help and idea's. Please review, and any flame will be laughed if not ignored. Please, have a nice day!

Happy Passover and Easter! 

Ja till next time!

~SAL-Chan


	10. Waking Up

For years upon years I have watched as countless souls of my descendants die and then attempt to recreate their body. For years upon years I have had to endure watching those who know everything _I_ have been through go through even more pain and suffering because of _me_. For years upon years no single soul was able to begin the _Tear-ing_ process - the first step in their new life. After a while I had lost all hope in my former family and I slowly started to believe that I would be stuck having to watch them die over and over and over again.

He died like all the others who had a chance of a new life. His life was ripped from him at the time I thought was right, and he was asked the question. Like so many before him he said yes right away, and became an outline of what he once was. A ghost of a life that was miserable and only promised an ending in a cage.

And for the longest time I thought that he was going to end up exactly like all the others - locked up away in my heart and bound to my soul. He was drifting through them all, slowly fading from sight. I felt his essence entangling with mine, I felt the weight of the curse press on me further.

That was my divine punishment. Living through this every day, every year, ever decade, every century...

Then suddenly, the process had begun.

The Cow had cried for him, and a connection had been made. His energy was slowly taken away from me, and then another cried tears of acceptance and she too, could see him. What surprised me the most was that she wasn't even a Sohma, but a friend of the only one who had been able to break into the Sohma's hearts since I was alive. The Dragon-doctor was next, alone and cold on his porch as the Monkey gave in and wept for his distant cousin as well.

The one year mark came too soon, and at once that girl - Honda Tohru- cried for him. That day his energy was totally pulled from my grasp, and he was connected to them. Then his 'father' cried for him as well, and he had another reason to go on - to be alive again.

Never in all my years of watching my family had anyone ever gone as far as he has. I never thought that so many people would care enough about _The Cat_ to accept him in ways that no one else would.

But they cared for him. They loved him more then they would say, and it showed. And now, today I watched the Dog let go and realized as well. That was seven people, but for the boy only four of them counted toward his new life. Yet somehow I knew that more would follow, that others would cry tears for him as well.

This group was **different**. They were all - in someway- different then the others that had rotated before them.

But in the end I knew he would end up like the rest if he didn't first get the** evil one** to cry for him. Though almost impossible, I knew it would happen. Maybe I am being to optimistic - something that is not normally in my vocabulary- or maybe I'm hoping too much.

I wish so much for this to be over. I wish so much to find an end to the suffering - the loneliness that I have to live in.

_It's not even my fault!!_

_But_...but...I'm not giving up. I _believe_ in this one. This time...maybe... this curse will break, and I will be _free_.

_God would I love to be free..._

Strange Happening's

By SAL-Chan

Part Ten: Waking Up

(AN: Sorry, but watch out for falling memory's. It's a little later on but I though I should warn you...And new POV changed! I'll make it easer for you guy's...)

_**"A smile is a curve that can straighten out a lot of things."**_

**_Tohru_**

I felt a shiver race up my spine as the cold nipped at my nose, and I wrapped my jacked tighter around me. The night had fallen quicker than I though it would, and the darkness had made my trip home colder then it would have been. Snow lay lightly around me as I made footprints through the untouched parts of it. The path was white and brown, the dark blue night sky wrapping its way around the abandoned branches of the trees. It was quiet but nice, a sort of lulling and alluring echo that the nigh sky let out seemed to sweep me off my feet and let me float among the "What if...?'s" that hung about my mind.

Like what if I had asked Yuki to go along with Hatori instead? Would he have died? Or what if Momiji, or Hatori, or Kisa had died instead of Kyo? Would something like what was happening to Kyo happen to them too? What if it was me instead? What if...

I sighed and pulled my coat around me. It wasn't worth thinking about the "What if...?'s" - I should just wait to see where this everything was going. I know whatever life has in front of me will come, and I'll do my best with what I can do. I can't control or change what happened - I know I can't ignore it either, and I'm not- but I can help guide the future._ As Shigure says some times, "Que sera sera..."_

I broke into the clearing of the house not a moment later and smiled, happy to be home. But thinking about Shigure, I am still worried about him. After what happened yesterday and how he looked when he came home from the main house._ I hope he is still sleeping. Hatori told me to make sure he rests and relaxes today, and he did look a little sick._

_Maybe I'll make him some soup for dinner tonight. I was going to make_-

Laughter broke through the houses clearing, and I stopped in mid-step and looked toward the house. _Does Shigure have someone over? He would have told me if they were going to be here so late, right?_

I hurried a little quicker to the door and unlocked it, hurrying inside to the warmth. I shivered as I took my snow boots off and put them next to the door. Then I hung my jacked up, scooped my book bag up and stepped into the main hallway. Light conversation was coming from the back porch where I normally found Shigure after I came home from school. _Hatori must be here..._

"I'm home!" I shouted lightly, placing my bag in the dining room and checking the clock. _It's 5, and I'm off tonight so no work. Yuki said he would be staying late tonight, so maybe I can offer Hatori Yuki's dinner - if he's not home in time that is. Oh...I might need to make two extra plates tonight if Hatori is here and if Haru gives Yuki a ride home..._

"Welcome home Tohru!" Shigure's tenor echoed back through the house from the porch, his voice lined with a smile. I smiled too as I stepped into the kitchen, picking my yellow apron off the hook and putting it on.

"Welcome home..." Kyo's voice sounded different today, more...Kyo-like, if that's possible. I looked toward the porch through the dinning room, raising a eyebrow. _If I didn't know better I would think that Shigure was sitting outside with-_

"Flip the page already." Kyo's aggravated voice filtered through the screen's of the porch door, and I blinked. I heard the sound of paper moving and then a snort, and I furrowed my eyebrows. A moment later I relaxed and brushed it off. _Shigure doesn't kn- _

"Hey! Damn, I was reading that!" Kyo shouted again as I heard another page flip. I smiled and shook my head. _Uwa...it's a...-Wishful thinking, right Mom?! Yea, It can't-_

"Then read faster next time." That smart remark came from the Dog, and I almost dropped the plate I had taken from the cabinet. Clutching the plate - that happened to be my favorite yellow one- I stared at the porch doors. My thoughts were flying a mile a minuet, and weren't stopping. _I was imagining that, right? I had to have. Shigure can't see K- _

"Shut up an' turn it _back._ I wanna finish!" The ghost Cat shot back, a type of aggravation that only one person could cause bubbling in his voice. Were they...were they_ bickering?!_

"Well wait till I'm finished, and then I'll _give_ it to you..." Shigure retorted, a smile laced in his voice.

"...Very funny. _Ha ha_, lets make fun of the dead Cat. Shut up and turn the page back!" His voice sounded very thin and aggravated, and I swear I could see Kyo in my mind getting ready to hit Shigure like he did so many time before. Slowly, as I clutched my favorite yellow plate, I advanced toward the dinning room with tears pooling at just the tips of my eyes.

"...Make me..." I couldn't believe it. I wanted to so bad but I couldn't. I needed to see it to believe it fully. I stepped into the dinning room and headed toward the porch door, placing my plate down on the dinning table. In a quick movement, I pulled the porch door open and stepped back out into the cold. My hair that was tied up in a pony tail wiped behind me along with my apron as I stepped out into the wind again, eyes immediately finding the pair of them.

Shigure sat in one of his winter writers robes that was the same color as his hair, crisp black compared to the snow around us. He sat cross legged near the edge of the porch, the paper in his hands open to some unknown section. His thin wire framed glasses sat on the bridge of his nose, a pencil sat behind his left ear and a cigarette hung limply lit in his mouth. The smoke from the cigarette floated up toward where Kyo sat hovering behind him, legs crossed in his normal way- his right knee in Shigure's back. Kyo's hair stood out compared to the black of Shigure's robe and the white of the snow, and his skin seemed to stand out much more against the pale snow. He was still very pale mind you, yet the tan-ish color he once had was returning slowly. His black shirt was still completely ripped on the right side, his feet were still bare, and his tan cargo pants were still ripped along the side and over the knees.

The moment I stepped out onto the porch, they both turned to look at me. Shigure blinked and then smiled at me- one of his smiles that clearly says 'I'm not hiding anything!'.

"Hello Tohru. Starting dinner are we?" He said calmly, shutting the paper that Kyo had turned his attention back to. The orange haired Sohma flushed slightly and shoved his hand through Shigure head.

"Stupid Dog, now I lost my damn place!" And to my amazement, as he said this Shigure turned around and looked at Kyo, then smiled another one of his smiles.

"You'll find your place again." The Dog beamed at Kyo then turned back to me, taking his glasses off his nose and pushing them up on top of his head- messing his hair in the process. His kind brown eyes smiled at me - a real smile- and I felt the tears on the corners of my eyes well more.

"Hay Tohru..." He started with a smile, ignoring the fact that Kyo was seeming to makes himself look busy by trying to see how far his foot could go into Shigure's back. "A little _kitty _told me that you have been keeping a _secret_..."

"Don't call me **Kitty**!!" Kyo barked, enforcing each word by kicking through Shigure with his foot. Shigure just chuckled slightly and took the cigarette from his mouth and flicked it into the snow. Slowly I felt a smile envelop my face as a single tear fell from my eye. Shigure could _see_ him...Shigure _talked_ to him.

"Now look what you did Kyo_-kun_. You made Tohru cry..." Shigure shot at Kyo, drawing out his name. I watched as Kyo started steaming, fists balled up and back straight.

"I didn't make her cry! It's your fault, ya dumb Dog!"

"I did nothing of the sort. Now it's not _my_ fault that you still stumble on your words, Kyo. Don't blame others for things that _you_ do..."

"Stum-**stumble**?! I don't **stumble**! I didn't even _say_ anything to her!"

"There you go! You just admitted it. You didn't say anything to her..."

"-But!...I-I didn't...and..._Aah!_ Shigure!"

I felt a true smile captivate my entire face, I felt my whole being light up with it. I felt my heart flip in my chest and it felt like a large amount of the weight I had been carrying was lifted from my shoulders and I could breath free again.

_ We just got one step closer to becoming a family again. With me, Kyo, Shigure, and Yu...ki..._

_ ...o no...Yuki..._

_ We are_ still_ that far away..._

**_Yuki_**

"-and so it's decided. The prom will be healed in the gym because we _ are_ that cheep-"

"-now Sohma-kun, I didn't exactly say we were cheep but-"

"-and tickets will be $140 for couples, and $175 for singles...Tell me again why it's so expensive for singles, please..."

"Well...Um...I'm not really the one who-"

"-Very well. Switch the prices: $140 singles, $175 for couples. The decorations are being covered, right?-"

"-Where getting everything together Sohma-kun. All we need is to start the fund raising and-"

-"When are you going to start that?"

"...um, we were thinking Wednesday-"

"-To far away. Try Monday, even if you have to organize over the weekend. Are pictures taken care of yet?"

"Yes Sohma-kun! Kare-Ona Camera's said they were going to cover it for us. I'm going tomorrow to put the payment down-"

"-Well why not go _tonight_ and get it over with. Moving on, we have a DJ of some sort, right?"

"....N-not yet Sohma-kun. Seita was going to work on that but-"

"-No buts, just get it done. Now, if there's noting else the council meeting is adjourned."

"But Sohma-kun! I have-"

"-See you all next week." I slid the door shut behind me, quite surprised at myself for even being able to stand up with the headache I had. It felt like my temples were imploding. Stress was creating knots in my shoulders and back and I'm sure if I had stayed in that room a moment longer - of if I heard another 'Sohma-Kun!' come from any one of them- I swear to God I would have flipped out on them.

Stressed?: Yeah . Aggravated?: Quite. ...Pissed?: You bet.

I made my way down the hall at a slightly brisk pace despite the fact that I now had four legs, two of whch were made of wood and another totally useless. My new school bag- one Tohru hand made for me and my stupid leg- was looped over my shoulder and sitting at my side, it contents overflowing with things concerning the prom, the talent show, and the spring play. My math and science book were packed in there also, along with my Social Studies notes that I knew Tohru hadn't bought home with her.

I reached the stairs quicker then I should be able too, and just stopped. I glared down the set of equally placed steps and once again cursed whom ever had been driving that car that day. I managed to swing my way over to the wall and gathered my crutched in one hand - my good left hand but my bad left leg- and somehow managed to craw my way down the steps one at a time. Once I reached the landing I whipped the sweat that had managed to accumulate on my bow off with my shirt sleeve. I turned the corner and found another set of stairs - 12 even sets of steps.

_Who would have thought_, I incoherently mumbled to myself in my head, _that I would have to work to get down stairs. This is unbelievable..._

"Having a problem?" A voice said from the bottom of the stairs, and I immediately snapped back.

"Shut up, you stupid cat. You've never broken_ your_ leg - God hopes you break **both** at the same time- so _shut up_ and _back off_."

"...Yuki?" I blinked and stopped in my struggling against gravity and my leg and looked toward him, blinking once at the speaker.

Hatsuharu stood at the bottom of the stairs dressed in a gray sweatshirt that seemed to be a size too big for him. Long, tight black pants covered his legs and black working boots rode up to about his mid shin. The white part of his hair hung about his eyes that were so brown they seemed black, and today he must have decided to dye just the tips of his white bangs black as well. The black back end of his hair was tied down low on his head and braided down to the middle of his shoulders were it was tied off and continued for another few inches. His skin [just the simple parts that I could see] compare to the black and gray was paler then he had ever been, his cheeks tinted red and eyes fever bright. One of his hands was stuck in a pocked while the others arm was draped around a black motorcycle helmet, and both of his hands were gloved - each glove had it's fingers cut off by the knuckle.

Instead of his normal placid face, one of his priced eyebrows were drawn up in question and his mouth was open slightly. I blinked at him while trying to bottle up my irritation and not let it spill onto Haru and politely answered back, though it was clipped and laced with annoyance, "What?"

Haru did nothing for a minuet, just stared up at me. And I did nothing for a minuet, staring back down at him -confused and aggravated. And suddenly he dropped his helmet with a snap of plastic hitting the floor- a noise to which I winched- and walked up the few steps I had till I got to the bottom. He stood next to me - now no emotion on his face - and wrapped his arm around my waist, shifting my weight onto to him and off of the wall. While it was much easer going down the stairs this way, my annoyance hadn't faded one bit. We reached the bottom in a moment or two and Haru released me and grabbed his helmet off the floor.

Yet before I could set myself up for walking he grabbed on to me again the same way. I turned my head slightly to look at him and opened my mouth to say something, but shut it the moment I made eye contact.

Haru was angry. I would eyen go as far as saying he was in the transition between his black and white persona. His eyes were deadly angry and dark, a swirl of emotion looming behind a steadily breaking calm cover. I shut my mouth right away and schooled my features, then let him walk me out the doors of the school.

Darkness was descending on the world outside, dark oranges and blues lining the earth from the sky. Stars sparkled in the deeper blue portion of it all, and as we stepped into the parking lot the lamps on the streets had just come on. And all the while - on the trip from the stairs to the parking lot- neither of us had said a word. I kept shifting my gaze from my own feet to Haru's face, looking for a change in his expression that would give some explanation for his covered anger.

"Stressful day, _huh_?" Haru mumbled whit his face set forward and eyes cloudy. I knew that wasn't the question he wanted to ask me, or anything he wanted to address, but he said it anyway. I thought if I should just carry on with this conversation that he picked for the moment, or if I should call him on the real reason he looked so pissed.

"No..." I said quietly with a wince, knowing fully well that I should just ask what was wrong. "Just long..."

"You were ruthless with the others." He commented and stopped a moment to gather me on his arm and shoulder again, then continuing on his way. "And you sounded angry on the steps."

_The steps?...what does that have anything to do with-_

"It's complicated getting down them." I defended myself, looking down at the offending leg. _Shigure _was written on the front of it in big black letters, and _Tohru _was written nicely on my foot. My _brothers_ name was scrawled on the side, along with _Momiji_, _Haru_, and _Kisa_'s name. The blue was slowly become the most annoying color blue that I have had the displeasure of having attached to my body, and it was itchy. Thank God that it was getting taken off some time next week...at least that's what Hatori said...

"Was it that **demanding **of your concentration?" I felt the change of tone in his body, the way his shoulders bunched up and his stride became aggressive. His voice had changed in color, almost completely elapsing into 'Black'. I hesitated a moment, then - even though he was my only ride home and the only other person in the parking lot - I took the bait.

"What do you mean?" I felt him tense and stop a few steps away from his ride. I stopped as well and looked at him, noting that his face had become plane and placid, but his eyes sparked with a dark and deadly light.

"...you don't know yet, do you?" He asked, eyes looking toward nothing in the sky. I raised a eyebrow in confusion.

"Know what?" It sounded almost bitter, like I had spat it him. He knew something that I didn't - that he wouldn't tell me- and by the way he said it it seemed like there was more then one person in on it. It hurt for some reason, a part of me that hadn't felt in a long time - and I felt that feeling mask my face from emotion without my thought.

He turned to me then, having to look up slightly in order to meet my gaze with his. He eyes were dangerously black and dark, and it seemed he was doing the same thing I was.

"...I'm not Kyo." He said sharply in the same tone I had used, and confusion erupted in my chest and head. My heart beat faltered and thumbed in my temples as anger suddenly coursed through my veins. No one - **_No one_**- had said his name around me for...for a long time, and to say it to so bluntly and 'matter of fact-ly' as to question my intelligence.

I pushed myself away from him, my face obscured in a tangle of emotions- confusion, hurt, and anger. I leveled myself on my foot and glared at him full force.

"I know that! Why would you even say that?!" It was strange to hear myself shout, but I had lost control. For some reason - though it rarely ever happened unless I'm talking with Shigure- every time this... _topic_ comes up I loose myself. Haru hadn't moved - just let his hand slowly fall to his side- keeping his head forward and held high.

"...Kyo's _dead_, Yuki. I'm not Kyo. If you knew that, you wouldn't have called me _stupid cat_..." His voice had risen along with mine, his hand clenching into a fist. For some reason his voice was barley audible over the pounding of my heart beet in my head. Sweat had broken across my back and chilled me, my palms sweaty. I could find no response, no action I could take to counter his statement at all. For a moment I was confused but-

_ "Shut up, you stupid cat. You've never broken _your _leg..."_ My own voice echoed in my head. God... I had said that? How...was I that...

I stopped my train of thought instantly, locking it up again. I refused to think about it, to let myself get this worked up about nothing. It didn't matter...and it never would...

I calmed myself as much as I could and stood straight, leaning on the crutches I had in my hand. I schooled my features back down to a normal calm and let the dusk air slowly move my hair from my face. Haru still stood his own ground, unmoving and unblinking - face still flushed with a fever and fist still clenched. Then slowly he turned to look at me with his face placid, then shook his head a looked away. In a few steps he was standing next to his black and white dirt bike - the only form of quick transportation the younger Sohma's without a license had. I knew the bike had been painted the with one other color to change if from it's original solid black, and I also knew who the bike was really for. In fact, Hatsuharu hadn't painted over the logo that Shigure had gotten paint brushed across the back fender for said 'other person'. I couldn't stand looking at that bike...

He swung a leg over it and reached into a pocket somewhere, drawing out the key. He started the ignition and revved it a few time, then turned to me and extended the helmet toward me.

"Get on." He said it simply, but he sounded very tired now. Yet still, his eyes held no room for discussion about the ride I was going to have or the helmet I would have to wear. I sighed and moved over to the bike, managing with some help to get settled on the seat with my leg and secured the black helmet over my head - flipping the tinted visor down as well. Haru leaned the bike over and kicked the stand up then revved the engine once and slowly let the break go. I settle my crutches on my side and picked my feet up along with one of his, settling them on my own pair of strips in the back. Haru looked sideways and flipped a switch then revved again, this time the bike pulled forward and in a fluid movement as it turned he pulled his foot up and settled in it's place.

We all but crawled to the gate that opened up to the road and stopped for a moment as he looked for cars. I felt a chuckle run through him as he turned his head slightly to look back at me. There was a gleam in his eye that they never seemed to have and a smile on his face - as if our argument, or rather out exchange of words had never happened.

"_Hold _on." Was all he said this time - giving me a moment to grab onto him with my free hand before he pushed the throttle all the way down and kick the shifter, sending a mechanical scream into the air as we shot forward.

I let my thoughts fall behind me, behind the speed that we was going. I just watched the scenery pass by and let myself relax and enjoy this ride while it lasted. Home wasn't that far away...

**_Kyo_**

I stopped setting the plates as I heard an engine yell in the distance and I felt myself grin.

"Yuki's home!" Shigure hollered from outside, and I rolled my eyes and let the smile fade. The stupid Cow just hadda pick up that damn Rat. The poor bike was soiled now.

"Bloody freken hurray!" I barked back immediately, setting down the last dish and dusting my hands off. I blinked for a second at the table and raised an eyebrow at the setting. Shigure, Tohru, The Rat, Haru...

"What's wrong?" Tohru asked as she stepped into the dining room, and I looked up at her. Her pale yellow shirt almost blended into her apron and her jeans were faded at the knees, white socks covering her feet. Her hair was pulled up into a pony tail and her hands were busy drying themselves off on a white kitchen towel. A smile was on her face and question lit her eyes. I looked away and back to the table, then back to her.

"Nothin'." I said simply and gave her a slight sideways grin. I shouldn't point it out to her, she would just gasp and say 'I'm sorry' a thousand times. After all she did give them to me to set...

"Okay!" She smiled and continued on her way through the open porch door and turned from my sight. Quickly I grabbed one and walked into the kitchen. I twirled it in my fingers as I opened a cabinet and stopped, stilling it in my hands. I looked down at it for a moment, then slowly slid the extra fifth plate into it's spot on top of all the others. A moment later another scream of an engine - closer this time- pulled my attention from the pile of plates to the outside. I went to leave then stopped and shut the cabinet door, staring at it for another moment.

My heart cried out for that stupid god damned plate, for me to be able to eat with them - to eat at all.

"Wasn't that sweet..." An irritatingly familiar voice filtered up through the air near me and I felt frustration bubble in the back of my mouth. I turned toward him - or more accurately toward his voice- and looked down to find him in his alter form. He stared up at me, black eyes surrounded by orange fur, tail swaying back and forth on the kitchen floor. The name tag glittered in the incandescent lights of the kitchen, the letters 'KABOCHA' glittering silver against black. And even though he was in this form, I felt as if he was smiling at me.

"...she put out an extra plate for you...how nice." The whiskers on his face twitched and he yawned, stretched out his front limbs, then looked up toward me again. "Kyo-Kyo, go with him to the main house and visit Zuma -Sensei , n'kay?"

I glared down at him and was about to open my mouth to shoot back a response when Tohru stepped back into the kitchen. I looked over at her and so did he, and immediately I felt stupid for looking like I was talking to the cat. She just smiled at me, then smiled at the cat - walking over to him with little steps and picking him up. She then turned an looked at me again with him cradling in her arms, and for a very valid reason jealousy bubbled in my stomach.

"They'll be here any minuet. Want to come out and greet them with me?" She asked with a smile, scratching the scruff of the Cat-Kyosetsu's neck. He- meanwhile- just continued to stare at me. I snorted and turned away from her, the cabinet that held the plates in it coming into view. I stared at it for a moment - heart thumping in my chest again- then crossed my arms and turned my head back slightly to look at her.

"Fine!...But only to keep ya company, okay?!" I said with a bit of bitterness in my voice, regretting it instantly. But Tohru just smiled - as if she understood- and nodded, then turned down the hall. A second later she popped her head back into the kitchen and smiled at me.

"Thank you...I'll meat you out there." She said simply, her eyes shining. She then dropped that cat lightly and turned again down the hallway. Kabocha/Kyosetsu walked into the kitchen then, looking behind himself and I stared at the doorway nibbling on my lip - my arms tense in their crossed position. The sound of the front door sliding open caught my ears, and equally I heard it shut not even a moment later.

"Your blushing." I felt my back straighten and I dropped my arms, then turned to him again. He was human again, white shirt and pants loose on his frame. I glared full force at my ancestor, wishing with all my might that I would be able to punch him in the face one day.

"_Screw you_..." I mumbled, anger flushing my face more. My hands were clenched into fists at my sides, anger wafting off my body toward him. The other dead orange haired Sohma just grinned at me, odd shapes eyes crinkling at the edges. He chuckled and pointed toward the door to the hallway.

"Go outside Kyo, and enjoy yourself. Go to Kazuma's and see him and Hatori, and look in on Kagura and Momiji as well." He smiled, actual sincerity laced in his low voice. I stared at him for a moment, then nodded - my anger vanishing like a ghost. I turned to look at the cabinet again, then pushed myself off the ground through the roof of the kitchen and into that Rats room. I went through it without stopping, pushing through the boards of the ceiling and thought the tiles of the roof to get outside. I felt the night consume my bodiless sole and it threatened to take me away. The night always did...

Tohru was standing in front of the house, her small jacked draped around her as another vicious yell of an engine ripped thought the quiet of the night. I pushed off the ceiling and sailed over her- two stories above her gave me a better view of the skyline. The city not a mile away was lit by a eerie urban glow, office buildings that poked above the regular hills of homes and shops gigantic compared to them. Hill wavered in the background, forest green compared to the night. I knew if I pushed myself up anymore I would be able to see over those rolling hill of trees and homes to other glowing city's and maybe the very tip of Tokyo if I wished.

Instead I dropped like a lead weight down next to her, feet touching down on the stone path way.

The stones were cold under my feet...They were _cold_ under my _ feet_...

I blinked as that feeling vanished a moment later when Tohru looked over at me with a smile, and I couldn't help but smile back at her. Not a minuet later did a headlight flash between the trees, the sound of a engine getting closer and closer.

_ I must admit, he looks good on a bike_ I thought as I pushed off the ground to follow Tohru as she walked toward the break in the trees, hovering a foot or two off the ground. The closer they got the slower they went until I could see them clearly. I watched as Tohru gathered a breath an let it out, then looked at me one last time and then looked back toward the two others Sohma's approaching. I was going to ask what she was doing when reality smacked me in the back of the head again and I remember who _else_ was on that bike...

_I became invisible again..._

Haru stopped next to Tohru and didn't even look at me. I sighed and pushed myself up toward a tree, settling my foot on a high branch and looked toward the city again. _Why should I care so much if they pretend not to see me when He's around? I told them to...right? Not that I care too much anyway, but...I'm glad they don't think Tohru and Haru are crazy any more. That would suck if they got put away because of me..._

I looked down just in time to hear the end of their conversation. The Rat was standing on all four legs next to Tohru, who was looking at Haru with understandable worry.

"You sure you don't want to stay for dinner? I've made enough..." She asked the Cow who was in the process of getting his helmet on. Haru shook his head negative and clipped his chin strap, flipping the visor up so he could meet her eyes.

"No thank you Tohru. Hatori wants me home." He said simply in a low voice. I let my foot slip off the tree branch and fell12 feet down to them, stopping inches form the ground and about 3 feet in front of Haru. He looked toward me for a second, the back to them.

_'Hatori wants me home'...He's going to the main house. And Hatori live near Kazuma..._

"Oh....alright then." She smiled and folded he hands behind her. The Rat smiles slightly at Haru and fixed his stance on his crutches.

"Thank you for the ride home..." He said gracefully and dignified, and instantly I wanted to fight that Rat. I crossed my arms and forced my wild aggravation down as he added in upon a second thought, "..and sorry about the stairs thing..."

All three of us looked at him oddly. _Wait...The hell?! He was apologizing?! What had the world without me come to..._ I thought as Haru shook his head and looked down at the steering bars of the dirt bike, grabbing the ignition switch.

"Don't worry about it." The Cow mumbled, turning the massive customized engine the bike had on. If anyone knew about what was in that bike, it would be me.

"Alright," Tohru stepped back and waved at him. "Next time then! See you at school!" She shouted over to him as Haru revved it, gas spewing out of the helixes that it had for tailpipes. God I wanted that bike...

The Rat stepped back with her and Haru turned the bike around, then turned to wave and revved the bike again, shooting off down the path way to the city. I stared after him - my ticket to the main house- then cursed and turned toward where Tohru and The rat were standing to find them almost all the way in the house.

_Do it now!_ I told myself, looking back down the path Haru took - the head light fading through the trees. _Do it now or you know you won't go to Kazuma's at all! _

"T-tohru!" I shouted, spinning toward the front door. She spun around quickly from helping him and jumped out the door, gazing at me through large and suddenly worried eyes.

"What?!" She said back, voice raise because of distance. The Rat poked his head out of the doorway and gave her an odd look, calling her name. I pointed toward the path they had just come from, picking myself up off the ground a little more. The light was fading altogether...

"I'm going to the main house! I'll be back later!" I half shouted down to her, and she nodded her head wildly. I smirked and rose into the air a little more, then added with a second through. "Don't wait up!"

I heard her laugh as I shot toward the fading light of the bike, forcing my way thought the trees that stood in my way. Haru's light flickered in the distance like a candle and started glowing stronger, the stroke and growl of the engine growing louder. Ahead of me the light of the city grew stronger as well, and so did the sound of other life.

I hadn't interacted with any other person for so long, truthfully I wanted noting but to walk through the city and be seen again. For one who once thought of people as a gigantic obstacle in life - like myself - to want to be put back in that type of situation was sad, but true. God did I want to be alive again...

I felt the _Tear-ing_ connection I had with Shigure's house snap off and I suddenly became self reliant - using the energy I held within myself to keep myself stable and whole in this world. That a stupid rule with this _ Tear-ing_ system, I needed someone to constantly pull this energy off of or I would fade. It's kind hard to survive that way when you want to be as free as I do, but it's something that I only have to live with for a little while longer...I hope.

I held my hand in front of me, forcing the power that I had left toward the scream of Haru's bike. If he was close enough, I could tag an energy line to him and follow him all the way to the main house without a proble-

_-Got it! Yes!!_

I closed me eyes for a second and pulled as hard as I could on the strand of energy that I had created. In moments I was next to him, heading toward my old home. Not that going back there was really a good thing....

**_Yuki_**

It's been four days since Haru and I had those words in the parking lot, and the entire time since then something has been nagging at the back of my mind - and at the bottom of my heart. Had I really been that distracted to call him _that_?...

"Yuki?" A soft voice called from the doorway of the living/dinning room, and I marked my spot in the book I was reading and turned toward her. Tohru was bundled up against the cold that was growing stronger since last night - snow had fallen harder and thicker since then, and getting to school this morning was more of a pain then normal. Her heavy winter coat was zippered up to her chin, red and blue scarf wrapped tight around her neck. She was fumbling with trying to get her mittens on both of her hands, face starting to flush from the extra heat that the winter wear gave her inside.

"I'm going to work now." She said with a smile, brushing her hair out of her face. "There's a pot of stew in the kitchen, but please wait until Shigure gets home to heat it up. There's enough for both of you, and I made dumplings in case you're hungry while he's still at the Main house."

"Thank you..." I said simply, at a sudden loss for words. She normally just left us to fend for ourselves on the nights she stayed out at work late -Shigure had gained some type of cooking skill in the past few years wall I on the other hand (Though I hate to admit) am still as unable to cook as I have always been. Yet Tohru just smiled at me knowingly and pushed the hair away from the other side of her face.

"No problem. I'll be home late, so just keep the front and hallway light on for me, okay? You'll be alright alone, right?" I nodded yes to both questions and watched her turn with a smile. I just sat and stared at the doorway for another minuet as I heard her open the front door then close and lock it.

I turned back to my book after that, but found the quiet to loud for me to ignore. There was no sound of life - no breathing, no footsteps, no voices. I found that even the quiet I had created in my mind was too much for me and maybe I should have taken it as a sing to do something about the quiet, but I didn't. The words on the pages slowly started to run into each other, and I finally shut it when I had to read the same sentence four or five times over.

_ ' ...Kyo's dead, Yuki...'-_

I shook my head, surprised as Haru's voice echoed in my mind. A shiver flew up my spine as goose bumps rose on my arms and the back of my neck. Quiet settled in around me again, but this time it pushed against me as if to suffocate me.

_'...It's just so _quiet. _The house, the night, everything-' _

I stood up abruptly cutting Shigure's voice off. I managed to make my way to the porch doors while on two unsteady feet and I slid them open, stepping into the night. The snow was still falling lightly, creating more layers of itself on earth. Even out here the quiet was suffocating...

_ "-I don't know what I would have done if you died."_

_ "There was....noting we could have done..."_

I stepped back into the house and slammed the door behind me, trying to clear my head again. _I don't want to hear theses thing, I don't want to live in the past. It all doesn't matter, what was done is done. It's not like I ever cared... _

I grabbed my book from the table and hobbled into the kitchen, checking the time as I went to the refrigerator. There was a note taped to the door of it that stated the time I was to go to the hospital and have this stupid cast taken off my foot - I thanked God that it would be in two days. Upon opening the fridge I found the pot of stew for myself and Shigure, along with the dumplings.

_"He'll be back in a few minuets, so please don't fight on his birthday. For me, please?" _

My hand stopped inches from the container and twitched.

_"It's shock. He should be fine. Now about the other one..."_

_ "...Well...isn't _that_ too bad. Did you put _him_ in the ground yet?"_

I dropped it a second later, my appetite disappearing instantly. My skin crawled as I felt the blood flow out of my face. The night was creeping into the house ever so slowly, I felt the cold and the darkness seeping through the cracks in the walls. I looked up to the clock again, wondering if it was two early to turn in. Anything other then sitting here alone...

_ "Did you get the cake?"_

_ "Don't worry, he's coming with me..."_

_ "There was no way to save him-"_

_ "-if _I_ had just died _**instead**_!"_

_ "Yuki, It's alright. I'm here, and everything will be _okay_..."_

_ "You can live with me if you wish-"_

_ "-Keep it closed. Just...leave it as it was..."_

_ "**Fight me!**"_

My book slipped from my fingers and fell to the floor with a dull thud, my eyes growing wide. I spun around as if acting on instinct and was prepared to see someone rush at me but-...found the kitchen completely, and utterly empty. The protective hairs on the back of my neck stood up straight as chaos erupted in my mind. Frenzied thoughts and sentences ran in and out of my head, words and voices of the past and the present. I slammed the refrigerator door shut with more power the I should have and turned toward the hallway, leaning heavily against the wall.

At the first step of the stairs I switched walls and leaned against it, and suddenly my finger tips brushed wood. I looked down, eyes growing wider- how could I possibly forget what side-

_"Why do you do that? Your wearing a line down the wall, you know?!" The Dog said with a hint of morning grumpiness as he jumped down the last three stairs and slid into the kitchen. The older writer stared at him with his arms crosses and brow wrinkled. I looked on with passive eyes sipping my simple full cup of orange juice - we had no real breakfast today for Tohru went to school early for extra review._

_ "Don't know, and who cares." He shot back, opening the refrigerator door and digging through the bottom racks to the milk._

_ "Because your gong to have to paint over them-" The Dog began._

_ "-Yea right! I ant paintin' squat. Sorry!" He barked back, turning to us with the carton of milk in his hand and slamming the fridge door shut with the other._

_ "Your going to have to." I interjected, stepping into the receiving end of a nasty but regular glare. "No one else is going to pull _your_ weight, baka neko."_

_ "Shut it!" He then threw the milk at me, drenching myself and the Dog in it. I stared at him for a moment, flicking the white liquid off the tip of my nose- and then suddenly tossed my remaining full glass of orange juice on him. He spluttered for a moment as the Dog burst out laughing, then shot at me with his fist raised and-_

I cursed and pushed myself away from that wall, clattering up the stairs with thumps and harsh breath. I couldn't think, for some reason my mind didn't want to work. There was no brief moment of clarity, no break in the clouds- just voices and visions of the past.

The top landing of the stairs came quickly, and I clutched onto the corner wall. My heart was racing like I was running a marathon, blood rushing through my body and a quick pace. I slowly leaned against the wall using my good foot, eyes closed for a mere moment of rest. I was running...

Though when I opened my eyes, I found _that_ room open. The door was wide open, as well as the window that let small flakes of misguided snow filter through the moonlight into the room.

_ "Your giving up your library?" I questioned, eyes looking at the shelf's upon shelves of book in the small room. Dust had collected on the tops of each and every one of the old book, as well as the bookshelf's themselves. "You _had_ a library?"_

_ The dog turned around to face us, sleeves of his writer robe pulled away from his arms by black strips of fabric. He was grinning from ear to ear, sizing up every one of us for the work he was probably going to make us do. _

_ "I've always had a library! What did you think I kept in this room?" He asked, writing his name on the dust that had settled on the window._

_ "...The body's?..." He mumbled next to me, shifting his weight to his other hip and crossing his arms. I felt myself grin despite the person who made the comment. I mumbled back a agreement and I barley heard him snort. Tohru stepped forward into the room with a smile and we bother turned to watch her._

_ "What do you need me to do Shigure-San?" She said politely as the Dog pulled a strap from a box next to him and proceeded to wrap up a bundle of books. _

_ "Just take these down stairs to my office and put them on the shelves!" He handed her a stack of books and smiled, then continued to wrap more up. Tohru took her first trip down the stairs I wrapped up another bundle of old dusty books as well. _

_ "Should we really trust her here?" He said lowly beside me, tying up another bundle of books. I gave him a dirty look through my hair and pilled another group of books off the shelve and tied them together as well. _

_ "Trust her more then I trust you..." I said with resentment thick in my voice, and he looked up with slight surprise on his face. He didn't know I heard him and his face showed it. That's when Tohru stepped back into the room and gathered another binding of books. _

_ "You don't gotta help." He said sharply, gathering a stack underneath his arm and giving her a look. She just smiled at him and said 'it's not problem'. I grabbed two of my own stacks as he grabbed another one and follower her out. He gave me another dark look and was about to say something to me when a surprised cry came from the stairs._

I took an uneasy step forward, transfixed somehow by the sight of the inside of the room. Moonlight lit the wooden floor in a unearthly glow and bathed the rest of the room in light. I had never seen the inside of his room before for as long as I've had that displea-...since I've known him. I don't think anyone had ever been in any of his room - what ever age he was. In fact, I don't ever remember seeing his house at all.

_ Kagura must have_ I thought, laying my hand on the side of the doorway. A old looking desk sat in front of me adorned with a lamp, random papers, and a old school text book for the tenth grade. Next to it sat a old wooden bookcase that I remember Shigure having in his own room/office, and next to the window sat a old and broken looking dresser. It looked as if the latched of the window were rusted and falling apart, their once silver hinges now a dull brown.

_"Don't call me stupid!"_

_ "Then don't act stupid, stupid..."_

_ "You got us lost! Give me the damn map!"_

_ "Sorry, no can do. Maybe later..."_

_ "Lets take this outside!_

_ "We are outside..."_

_ "Kyo just happens to hate the rain..."_

_ "That's** It**! Lets go...ya....ya stupid Rat...geez..."_

_ "**DON'T LOOK AT ME!**"_

_ "Lets...lets go home..."_

Slowly I slid inside the room, examining everything like it would leap out and attack me. Another dresser sat on the far wall next to the closet, and a futon was rolled up and tucked next to that dresser. I walked around the room once, looking at everything and anything I could -absorbing information that I wouldn't need to know now. I didn't touch anything, afraid that my fingerprints would somehow destroy the vary essences this room had.

I felt him in this room. I felt his presence like he was standing next to me, ready with a quick comeback or a raised fist. And for the first time in a long time I felt unprepared for anything. I felt out of place again - like I had in that first year he started at my school. I felt like I was a few feet shorter, body still awkward to itself, eyes still dead.

And the strangest of all, above every other feeling or thought that happened to fall along this type of train of thought...it felt right. It felt normal, like this was right and this was how it was should be.

_"Yuki!!"_

_I spun around from talking to Haru as her voice called out and spotted her running toward me, brown hair flying behind her and brown-gray eyes wide with happiness. Her pink summer dress fluttered around her legs and wall one hand was waving toward us, the other was clutching onto someone else's hand. He ran behind her, small legs stumbling to keep up with her longer ones. His long black shorts covered almost all of his legs, and a small white tank top left his arms bare. His short wild orange hair whipped around his ears, his crimson eyes half closed and a smile on his face._

_ "Kagura?" I said, turning to face the two approaching, watching them stop a foot or two away. Kagura was my cousin - and the Boor of the Jyuunishi- so I had seen her before. But this new kid... _

_ "We came...to...play with...you..." Kagura panted, brushing her hair out of her flushed face. The boy stood slightly behind her, staring at me in about as much wonder as I was staring at him with. _

_ "What do you want to play?!" Haru asked from behind me, stepping toward the pair. His hair was all around short, and for now he wore a white T-shirt and forest green shorts - feet bare. "I'm Hat-su-Haru, but just call me Haru, okay?" _

_ "I'm Kagura!" She said back and pulled the orange hair boy's arm so he stood next to her. "And this is Kyo."_

_ Haru then reached forward and grabbed little Kyo's hand and pulled him past Kagura and me toward where Momiji and Kisa were, shouting something to them. I watched as they introduced Kyo the game of Tag, and then began to play. _

_ "Yuki-kun? Aren't you gonna play with them?" Kagura asked me, and I shook my head a negative._

_ "Hatori doesn't want me playing until he can find out what's wrong with me." I answered and Haru fell from the tree he was climbing as a chorused laughter by the other three children. Kagura crossed her arms and gave me a look._

_ "Hatori said you could play. Go play with them, I'm playing too." She said simply, and suddenly she was tackled from behind sending her face first into the ground. That little boy - Kyo - had his arms wrapped around her middle, a smile on his face._

_ "Come play with us Ka-gura!" He shouted, unwrapping himself from her waist. She got up onto her knees and brushed off her dress, the sprinted off toward Haru who shouted and ran in any direction. Kyo - still on his knees- smiled up at me and extended a hand. I stared at it for a minuet, then looked at him._

_ "Your Yuki, right? I'm Kyo. Can we be friends?"_

...Could we be friends?...I didn't know who he was at the time, not until Akito told us who each other were. Then suddenly the eyes that looked at me with such friendship turned into utter hate, and I naturally hated him back. That's how it worked, right? But-...

My eyes stopped on the two year old calendar that hung in his room, still on the month of October. That date was still circled in red marker, and little notes and such riddled the rest of the calendar with sporting events and music lessons.

-But were friends? was there ever a time in my life that we could actually be called friends? Friends are people you trust, who you share you secrets with and who knows all your faults and strengths. Whom your equal to, whom you respect, whom you admire...

Who you don't constantly fight with...

Who you would want to see standing next to you in desperate times...

Who can back you up when you need them too...

...God, he was my friend...

I sunk to the ground underneath the window, back against the low wall for support. My hands were shaking slightly and breathing was slowly becoming difficult.

The realization came to late for me, two years too late. Though noting would have changed if I had found this out before hand, It would have made things...more complicated? Harder to deal with?...

...Why am I _lying _to myself again. It would hurt more...like it does now.

The last thing...that we ever said to each other...the last thing we ever did...

_I slowly pulled my kick down, satisfied with the result. He lay in the back yard now flat on his back, just breathing for a moment. I too was breathing a little heaver then normal, surprised a little by that. He was getting better...just slightly..._

_ Then quickly he kicked his feet up and planted them on the ground, using the momentum to pull the upper part of his body up. The minuet he was on his feet he quickly wiped the small trail of blood that was coming from his nose away with the back of his hand, settling into a simple stance that Kazuma had taught him until it became as easy as breathing. Over this year our fighting had started to become a little rougher, ever since he managed to get in one good square punch and hit my face. We each walked into school the next day with a matching set of black and blue eyes - for I had thrown my right hand out the same moment he did, and it seemed that I managed to land a square punch to his face as well. Ever since then we began to draw blood, and four weeks after that draw the Cat broke his left pointer and index fingers-_

_ He launched himself at me again, but I ducked away easily and came face to face with his shin. Unfortunately for him my arm was ready to defined before he even though of doing that, and I countered by griping onto his leg and pulling sideways. He forced his weight down and landed on his hands, swing the leg that hadn't been grabbed around to sweep me off my feet. A single moment before that I took a step backwards and pushed myself off the porch, landing on both feet a few feet away. He pulled himself up quickly, slightly winded -and if looks could kill I would have been dead on the spot._

_ "Nice try...last ditch effort on beating me before you turn seventeen?" I asked, a slightly smile on my face and my head held high. He growled and shot off the porch with a jump kick, but I was a foot away and already launching my attack when he landed. My kick sent him flying toward the side of the house, sliding on his back to a stop. There was a moment after I put my foot down of utter quiet as the wind blew, and then he started to laugh. _

_ Immediately it annoyed me and I crossed my arms defensively, switching into another fighting pose. Yet he didn't get up - only laughed- and clutched his side where I had kicked him. Slowly he uncurled one arm and sent himself up on a elbow, staring at me with eyes of hate but a grin of fun._

_ "Your freken' _pissed_ I hit you, aren't ya?" He said with mirth in his voice, and I felt aggravation bubble on the back of my mouth. I glared at him, a small mocking smile coming to my face._

_ "No," I said sharply, and the grin fell from his face. "Surprised that it took you over 12 years to actually hit me. Then again - technically you didn't win that fight, it was a draw."_

_ He was up in a flash, fist flying toward me. I barley blocked my face from being hit as I moved toward the side, and our eyes connected. For a brief moment saw everything that was hidden in his now blood red eye - pain and suffering that I had some knowledge of, and other things I had no idea about they're cause. _

_ "You **are** _pissed_!" He exclaimed, flying around in a circle and kicking out quickly - I dodged with centimeters to spare. He wasn't playing any more, he wanted a real fight. I snorted at the comment and dropped down like he had before and attempted to knock his feet out from under him. Yet even before I started to do that he was in the air, mid way through a flip._

_ "Why would I be?!" I shot back, avoiding his fist by another few inches. I heard him growl as he sent out a high kick and then switched legs and kicked backwards - both of which I just missed being hit by._

_ "Cause that means-" Another fist flew by my head at a noticeable speed. "-That your getting worse, or-" His foot almost made contact with my chest, and I felt the breeze as he pulled away. "-I'm getting as good as you!" _

_ "You'll _never_ be as good as me!" I shot back, dodging another roundhouse punch. That comment made my blood boil in my veins, his entire cocky attitude made my heart beet quicken with...something - Anger, confusion, and pride. Either he was getting better - because I was trying my hardest to stay away from his attacks- or I was getting worse. And neither was true. _

_ "Your right!" He shouted back, eyes aflame with anger. I could see the adrenaline of fighting take hold of his body as another fist flew by centimeters from my nose. I gave him a odd look as he gust grinned and tried to pull of a combination of high kicks and sweeps. "I'll be better!"_

_ "**Never**!" I shouted the word, eyes growing thin. The words was hissed and harsh, and finally - for the first time in my entire life, in the entire time he had ever challenged me to a fight- I took a swing at him._

_ And missed._

_ I stumbled forward a little and ducked, feeling his leg brush the longer hairs on my head that had not fallen as quickly as the rest. I switched feet quickly and kicked out backwards yet didn't connect with anything, then dropped to the ground as another leg cut through the air where my head had just been. I shot out my leg and attempted to sweep his legs from under him, but by the time I started I saw him flipping over me and rolled out of the way before his bare feet landed where my head was another second ago. _

_ I kicked up toward his chest and twisted, kicking my other foot out as well, but he had ducked and was moving under to get up close. I flipped myself backwards just in time and pushed forward, swinging my arm out for another punch._

_ And missed again. _

_ He was on the inside of my arm and pushing forward, shoulder in. There was no way to avoided his charge without consequence, so I decided to take him with me. When he was a inch away from hitting my chest with his shoulder I whipped my arm around as hard as I could and connected to the back of his heat, just barley avoiding his shoulder in the process. He went down head first but pulled out in a role and flung a foot out right away._

_ There was no stopping, no time for thought. There was just him and me, and the movements of a ancient fighting from. Sweat was rolling down the side of my head and sticking my shirt to my back, the palm of my hands moist as well. He was looking the same, shirt clinging to his body and the fire still lit in his eyes. I managed to step back as he delivered a killing blow, palm inches from my nose - the wind from it pushing my hair back. I grabbed his hand quickly and used his momentum to pull him past me and kicked out at the same time. Yet before I managed to pull him all the way he grabbed my arm and yanked just the same._

_ I lost my balance and wobbled slightly as another kicked flew past my head and I baled my fist, pushing the rest of my strength into my legs and I shot toward him - whipping my arm around as quickly as I could._

_ This time, I contend with flesh. This time, so did he. _

_ His fist slammed in to me hard on the side of the face, about the place where your jaw bone connect to the rest of the skull. The blow sent me in the opposite direction that I had pushed my weight, but I felt my fist connect with skin and slam into bone as well. I fell to the ground with a 'thud', whipping my legs around and up underneath me again an instant later. _

_ He was crouching as well when I got to my feet, one had drawn inward. Blood dripped from his nose and the side of his mouth, a cut open next to his temple. Likewise, I felt something dripping from my own nose and down the left side of my face. _

_ Draw._

_ Anger boiled in me. I would _not _let this be a draw! Not again! I would beat him in something!_

_ I ducked as his fist swung at me, and then I brought my foot up and connect to his chest, sending him flying seven or eight feet backwards. I stayed for a moment afterwards and then slowly let myself stand, my hands shaking._

_ "Win..." I said simply, but the anger - the hatred- was still there, still pushing me to continue. He coughed once and then slowly sat up, eyes fierce and sharp. The trail of blood on the side of his face was smeared with mud, his eyes covered in a glaze of...pain?_

_ I blinked as he tried to stand, suddenly amazed and the inner strength he had. He flew toward me again - slower then before- and I caught his foot with my own and had him trip and fall on his face. He stayed down a minuet, then staggered up and came after me again. And each time his eyes became darker, more full of hate and rage and pain then the time before. _

_ "I hate you!" The comment was delivered with a punch that I avoided easily. His eyes gleamed dangerously, as if they asked me to bicker with them. And for some odd reason - weather the knock to the head he gave me did it or not- I fought back._

_ "I hate you too!" I knocked his punch away and shoved - with both hands- against his chest. He stumbled backwards then shot at me again, and I pushed him back just the same. I was suddenly tired of fighting, tired of hate, just tired... _

_ "It's your faulty...it's all **your** fault!" I moved just in time, eyes wide again. _

_ "What?!" I snapped back, kicking out at him. He avoided - somehow- and came again. There was darkness in his eyes, a circle of deep indigo around his pupil. _

_ "**Your** the reason. Everything's **your** fault!" He said again, pushing one last punch at me. I caught it and just healed it for a moment, staring at him. He stared back - anger, pain, bitterness, strength, courage, and just...tired- all reflected in his eyes. The same feelings that I held within myself._

_ And for some reason, it made my furious!_

_ My fist struck him again, sending him toppling to the ground. He struggled up again - leaning on an elbow- and glared up at me with the most hate eyes were able to hold. I stared down at him with just as much hatred, but even more jealousy. _

_ "Your just trying to pin your faults on someone else-"_

_ "-I'm not! They're your faults, you lying, deceiving fuc-"_

_ "-it's all_** your own**_ fault! Everything! It's because of **you** this family is cursed, and it's_** your**_ fault not mine!! Damnit, all I ever did was say 'yes'!" _

_ My hands were clenched at my sides. My anger had taken over me for a moment, and all I knew in that split second was that the boy in front of me was the one responsible for the curse. I had let it take me over, I had been consumed by it, and instantly I knew that those words had scared both of us and nothing between us - what ever understanding there had been- was gone. _

_ He just stared up at me- eyes gleaming- and then we shouted at each other for the very last time, and stormed off in different directions. His voice rang in my head days after that, and for the life of me I didn't know why. It was something we always say but never say...and something unexpected came with the proclamations this time: pain. It hurt... _

_"Screw you Yuki! You not worth _my time_!"_

_"Forget you Kyo! Your not worth_ **anything!** _You never were to begin with, and you aren't now!"_

I had thought that would be it for now, and that even though he went storming off we would fight again when we got home. And that we would fight in the morning about how immature he still was even though he was 'older', and we would fight over what we would be eating that night. I though we would fight about school work - or lack of school work- and that we would fight over Tohru for prom. I thought that we would fight about what jobs we were going to have, where we were going to live, and why we had to see each other at family gathering's.

But I thought wrong.

I saw him twice after that fight, once in the hallway of the hospital and I yelled out his name along with everyone else, and the last time when I had gotten into the emergency room and watched his hand fall from Tohru's. All sound in the room stopped, and the two of them were then the only other people I could see. I watched his eyes close and I watched as blackness engulfed his body in my vision, leaving the pure white around Tohru tinted gray.

A second later, I passed out.

I never saw him again.

And in that black abyss that took me from the emergency room, a part of me was sick with worry that the Cat would come after it. It chorused the same thought over and over again, something about **'It** coming to get me', and '**It** would never let me get away'.

Another part of me felt like I had died along with him. That on some other unearthly level a connection we had through our bickering and fighting was broken and would never be right again. The person I wanted to be so much more then myself was gone and would never come back. I was disconnected from someone I knew had one of the biggest connections with myself, yet I refused to admit it.

When I woke up and they told me he had died, I didn't cry.

When we went the the funeral and I had to sit and watch Tohru cry to herself because not one of us could comfort her, I didn't cry.

When I watched the coffin being dropped into the cold and wet ground on that rainy Sunday - the day after his birthday- and realized that there were only 6 people - Myself, My brother, Shigure, Tohru, Hana, and Uo- there to watch him be buried, I didn't cry. I didn't cry and as Shigure took Tohru back to the hospital to sit and pray for Momiji's life for hours upon hours.

Yet after a hour of staring down at the slowly filling hole in which his body lay while standing next to my brother, who only after an hour wrapped his arms around me in a warm and wet embrace, murmuring quietly in a soothing tone, and when I didn't push him away yet instead grabbed onto him like a life line I never had as a child did I let myself shed tears that were simply washed way by the ever present rain.

Tears or regret. Tears for Tohru and all her loss at this, for the horror that Momiji, Hatori, and Kisa had to go through because of this, for the pain I witnessed in everyone's faces, of the satisfaction I had seen in Akito's when he was told of the news, for the pain I knew everyone had taken away from this one thing.

I didn't cry for him. I couldn't...I wouldn't...

But I hadn't realized then that I destroyed the only thing that I really wanted in my life - someone who understands. I didn't realize that when we shook hands 15-something years ago in back of the main house and had played that game of Tag until midnight with the others, it meant that we were friends. I didn't know what would happen that night either - that I would never ever see him with his fist raised, or in a fit of rage, or making sarcastic comments.

...but now...I did.

I had huddle up underneath that window and buried my head in my arms and cried for him. For his death, for the pain of his life, for the regrets he must have had...

...I cried for my _friend_.

And the darkness in the house seemed to consume me, to eat me alive from the inside out. Cold had clouded around me and stuck to my very skin, and slowly pins and needles raced up my arms and settled un the back of my neck - but I didn't care. I left my head in my arms and just say, tracks of the small amount of tears I was willing to give up for him traced down my face.

I felt hollow. My heart felt cold...I would never be able to make it up. There would never be forgiveness, there would never be forgetting, and my sole would carry this weight for the rest of my short life. Shigure had once told me...that once one of the Jyuunishi died, a chain reaction would start, and I would be one of the first to die after that - that's the order. There were so many regrets in my life, so many broken...everything's. And there was nothing I could do...

_She sat with her head bowed, long hair covering most of her face. A black dress covered her from shoulders to toes, a black winter jacket covering the rest of her. Autumn wind played with her hair, revealing the tears that never seemed to stop falling from her eyes. Her skin was pail compared to her hair, and her eyes seemed to stand out - clouded by pain and loss, tinted by death. And she cried and cried, and I could do nothing... _

_ I heard the sharp pitch of the heart monitor as it flat lined, and I could do nothing..._

_ I watched as everyone accused him for his mothers death and as I stood next to Akito, and I was unable to do anything..._

_ We are cursed, and I can't do anything..._

_ He's dead...Kyo's dead... and I can't...I couldn't do anything..._

Cold snapped around me and traveled down my spine, the faded away all together. I felt pinpricks of misguided snowflakes falling onto my bare arms, the cold stinging slightly.

"...You finished sulking' in my room yet, Nezumi?"

My heart stopped in my chest. My eyes were wide open, the cold on my arms stinging and traveling up my back. Had I just...had that...?

Slowly I raised my head from my arms and found a pair of tan feet about a foot away from mine. One foot was keeping constant time tapping on the floor, both of the ankles - along with the rest of the legs - were covered by randomly ripped cargo pants. The black shirt was ripped on shoulder, and a pair of tan arms were crossed in front of it. A slightly pointed nose was turned up at me, thin lips turned down. Crimson eyes glared down at me covered slightly by a thick mat of bright orange hair.

All I could do was stare. Everything I ever learned in my 17 years of life told me that what I was seeing was an illusion, but somehow....I knew that it wasn't. I felt it...

He looked down at me sharply, one eyebrow raising. Slowly, a slight grin formed on his face. He uncrossed his arms and dropped them into his pockets, his grin widening.

"What the_ hell_ are ya staring' at, Kuso Nezumi?" My brain felt numb. This wasn't possible...it wasn't probable...it defied all logic...but...

"You're not real..." I said simply, shell shocked. He blinked at me for a second, then reached over me and shut the window - cutting off all light in the room. Then slowly - like a firefly- a ball of yellow light appeared in his hand. Slowly he squatted down in front of me, his grin growing.

"Really? Then are you doin' all this?" He asked, and suddenly slight fear replaced my shock. He was...he was a...it was a gho..

"This isn't possible..." I mumbled, eyes wide. He laughed once, and then another type of grin faded onto his face. One he us to get right before he was about to fight me.

"How much you wanna bet?" He said with a sneer, defiance radiating off of him like it always had. "I'm here - _Nezumi_ - to make you wish **you** were the one who died. I_ will_ make your life a living hell, you can bet on that..."

He had said the words, but I didn't feel them the way I had. Because that smile, the one that normally challenged me to a fight, was not a challenge at all. There was something about it that gave me another thought altogether, that told me things only simple actions could. Simply, it stated ' No hard feelings?'. It was a grin he normally got when he talked to Tohru, but I knew it well enough.

He was, after all, my best friend.

"...Baka Neko...how did you manage to get yourself killed?!"

And suddenly - even if I did fall asleep underneath that window in Kyo's room, even if Kyo was really dead and this was just some warped dream, it didn't matter- life was normal again. Life was life...

_ Even though I'm going insane...I've lost it...I've cracked...I've got what ever Haru and Tohru have...gods..._

_ But if this is a dream, I'll live it now. At least I'm forgiven here..._

**_Tohru_**

"Honda Tohru-San?"

I turned at the voice, surprised that anyone would be outside on a snowy night this late. There was a boy leaning against the building I worked at wearing a long white coat that stopped around his ankles. Some type of fur lined the inside and the collar of it, as well as the sleeve's and along the very bottom. The coat was unbuckled, revealing a thick pair of black working boots as well as thin black pants. His shirt was pure white and had a emblem of a golden feather and a halo over his heart.

What struck me first about this boy was that his hair was the exact same shade of Kyo's, a sun ripened orange. His hair hung low around his ears and even longer in the back, his bangs frayed all over his forehead. Yet his hair barley distracted me from his eye that seemed to be to large on his face. They were the color of velvet purple with rings of black and red, his pupils slit like a cats.

He was smiling at me, thin lips a dull pink against his tanned skin. One of his ears had a cuff along the top, it's color golden against the white coat.

The instant I saw him I knew he wasn't normal. I knew that he was someone that I either should run away from of go to, and I didn't know which.

"Yes...T-that's me. Do I know you?" I said apprehensively, gripping my bag tight. The boy pushed off the building and walked toward me slightly, leaving a good foot or two between us. He must of understood what was going through my mind...

"Yes, but only slightly." He said, face become serious all of a sudden. And some how, I knew what he was going to say before he said it.

"I think we need to talk about a certain house 'guest' you have..."

(Chapter End)

Ranting: Ok, you guy's can't be mad at me for not posting anything for a while. I have Mono, so I barley have the energy to make it through school...

I've started to become busy again: My Science regents (That only New York seems to have....) in less then a month, as well as my Sign Language project and final. Theater Guild Banquet is coming up, and I need to make up a lot of work from when I was out (for two weeks...yay) with my lovely Mono. Yet I managed to gather myself up enough to finish this chapter and I've already started on chapter 11, so that might get out before school lets out.

This has got to be the longest chapter so far. On Word Perfect, it's like....20 pages without being indented or spaced out or paragraphed or anything. This might actually rival chapter 5 or 6, witch were the longest before. And you guy's have no idea how hard this chapter was to write...

A LOT happened in this chapter, more then I first planned. We see a little bit of everyone - almost - and a lot happened...Who's this stranger Tohru met outside her building? And what does he know? How will life in Shigure house continue with Yuki now able to see Kyo as well? Can things ever be normal again? And wtf's up with Haru? And if you remember the beginning, who was it and what were they talking about?

Ok everybody, I know you must have a lot of questions. So, lay them on me!

Favorite Line: "A little _kitty _told me that you have been keeping a _ secret_..." I love Shigure in this, but not as much as I love the flashbacks. Favorite line in that is "Your giving up your library?/You had a library?"...

Favorite character: That's split between Haru and Shigure...

Votes for Shigure getting his book: Yes - one. No - zero...come on guy's. Yes or no?

Date Finished: May 19th , 2004. 10:38 p.m.

Date Edited: May 22nd, 2004. 9:15 p.m.

Moving along...

Juuuust me: Love your name btw. Cheers Yes! Now that Shigure's finished, all I gotta do is focus on Yuki and Tohru. I always though that the way his brain worked was very complex, heck - I think all of them are. Strange connection for them indeed: Friendship. Trust me, this connection - along with the one he has with Haru- will become very important. Thank you very much for the review!

HanaTenchiHimeko: Lol thankx. I'll update ASAP. Trust me - even though my mom's pissed about it, this is my top priority (Besides TG and sketching). See you next time!

HelloKat: Then...welcome to the wonderfully twisted land of Strange Happening's, and my brain. Trust me, there a lot going on that sometimes even I need to ground myself and think about what's happening. And...there may be more! Gasp! Well you'll find out, and I'll see you next time!

yamatoforever: Maybe something in the book will let us know...Thanks for your single vote, and it will count. Trust me. But are you thinking about the price he'll have to pay for getting his book? That means that he'll have to give Akito the God's book, giving him all the information that every single God has had. There could also be so much pain locked up within those books...you never know. Thanks and hope you like this chapter then!

PresidentPrinceT.K.Fanclub: I am honored then! Your comparing me to 'Riceball in a Fruit's Basked'?!?! Now I'm really honored! And sorry, this was as fast as I could update. I'm going to see if i can get these out faster, but thank you for waiting! Hope to hear from you again soon!

Sorry, no bonus this time. I'm way too tired. Just to let you know, the next two or three chapters will be very interesting. Not much to say this time, except that chapter 11 is half way through the half way point of the story. There's a fixed 23 chapters now, and where gonna be half way there!! And it only took from September to now!!....That's just a little sad, on my part that is...

By the way, I don't own FruBa. This plot and original characters are mine, but not Fruba itself. Any twisted, enhanced psychotic tendency, morbid reactions, deep and well deserved brooding and/or beating ones self up that happen to appear in the story are mine and I stake full claims with some help and idea's. Please review, and any flame will be laughed if not ignored. Please, have a nice day!

Talk to you guy's later!!

Ja!

SAL-Chan


	11. Preparations

"What is a hero?

Are all hero's people in books and movies that we idolize?

Are hero's those who give all they can to save the world from some deadly evil that's planning to wipe out the human race? Are hero's people who creep around in the night saving innocents from those who would do harm? Are hero's kind and gentle to those who disserve it, and are aggressive and powerful to those who do not? Are hero's people who would sacrifice things for the greater good, for the prosperity for humanity? Are hero's people who would do anything to keep others from hurting?

For many people, the vision of a hero is one in a red or black cape, who's identity is kept a deep secret. Their hero has some special super power and is invincible against any others, and though trouble may occur you always know your hero will win. Even though the hero might be from a different planet, or have wings, or can shoot web, we still idolize them. They become our role models.

Yet sometimes our hero can be a normal, every day person - like you and me. A hero could be the person walking next to you, holding your hand, kissing you cheek, smiling at you, standing next to you on the subway, washing a window, making photocopy's in the copy room, standing behind the grocery counter...

...They could be anyone. They could look like anyone, act like anyone, speak like anyone, move like anyone, but there is one thing inside them all that gives them a quality to become a hero. It's different for many people, for you could see someone as a hero when someone else could seem them as a normal person. Truthfully it's all in the way one looks as another - if they can see the hidden quality within someone to call them a hero.

In the dictionary, a hero is defined as a person of superhuman qualities or a person who is admired for their courage or outstanding achievements. I don't think that's right. They might be the definition for the word, but that doesn't mean that it's correct, right? But they do have one thing right.

You don't need superhuman quality's, or need to do outstanding things to be called a hero. You need a certain type of courage that not many people in the world have. A courage that is your sole, that you yourself might not even realize you have until you use it.

But even then that doesn't qualify a person to be a hero, they would be a role model - the line between those two things are very blurred. Most hero's are role model's, but what makes a role model a hero?

I don't think I can answer that question for everybody - I don't quite know myself.

Looking the opposite way, what makes a villain a villain? One may think they're evil because they committed a crime, but others may look up to them for a different reason. Are you a villain because you did something wrong, or are you a villain because you're _not_ the hero? Weather your hero's the villain or your villain's the hero is up to you. You are the one who makes your hero a hero and your villain a villain. Weather or not they truly are what they're said to be is up the them and their actions.

After all, a villain can be the hero of his own story..." Once I finished I sat down, not bothered by the looks the rest of my class was giving me. I couldn't care any less about what they thought of my speech, frankly I didn't even want to say it. But my teacher has said that it was very moving and I should read it.

They didn't understand, so why should I read it for them?

I felt a hand grasp my shoulder, and I looked next to me to the owner of the hand. He just smiled slightly - eyes focused, black, and sharp- face framed with snow white hair that was the style of today. And the moment I looked at him, when our eyes met, I knew that he was proud of me - that I had done something special and something that should be known. That I should be proud... and not just for myself.

For _my_ hero as well...

Strange Happening's

By SAL-Chan

Part Eleven: Preparations

**_"Some might say that they were my favorite mistake..."_**

**_Tohru_**

"Breakfast is ready!!!" I shouted up the stairs over another pair of voices, one of which was raised a considerable amount. There was then an end exclamation and as soon as it was said. Kyo fell from the ceiling and dropped down next to me with a low 'Shitty Rat'. A snarl covered his face and his arms were crossed, anger written in his posture. Despite his obvious bad mood, I smiled at him.

"Good morning Kyo. Sleep well?" The last part slipped out, and I covered my mouth the moment I said it. He gave me a bit of an odd look, his anger melting away slightly.

"Like the dead." Shigure stepped out from his own room, a smile on his face. "Morning Tohru, Kyo."

"I hate you..." Kyo growled, eyes narrowing into crimson slits. The older writer just smiled, stepped through Kyo and walked into the kitchen. Kyo's eyes widened slightly as he did that and he recoiled forward as the writer walked through him, then shook his head and arms slightly and glared at the Dog's back.

"We hate you too." The calm and awake voice drifted down from the stairwell as it's owner walked down after it. Yuki brushed his hair away from his face, and smiled at me slightly. He had on a light blue turtle neck sweater and a regular pair of straight legged dark blue pants, his leg finally free from its cast. They had taken it off two weeks ago on Wednesday, and I think it was a blessing to him. Unfortunately for him and all his fan girls at school, a thin scar now ran from the outside of his knee to his ankle, but the doctor and Hatori said that they were surprised that the scar wasn't thicker. The only other sign of Yuki's accident was he had scaring on the shoulder that has scraped along the ground, but Hatori gave him ointment or something to make that scar fade as well.

"Good morning Yuki." I cut in before he and Kyo started up again - the second time before the late breakfast I had prepared. We were off from school for a little while - Christmas had passed a few days ago and today was New Years eve- we ended up waking up earlier than we had been. And this year looked as if it would be much happier for the majority of us all...well, for anyone who lived at Shigure's house anyway.

"Morning..." He said back smoothly and stretched and walked into the kitchen- Kyo moving to the side, a snarl planted on his face as well. I watched as Yuki walked by Kyo and noted how...well, short Kyo was compared to him.

_After all_, My mind informed me again. _Kyo is still 16. Yuki's 18. There's a two year gap... _

That though brought back that conversation I had with the Set a few nights ago. When Set - the nameless boy who was waiting in front of my work in the snow for me - had told me things I didn't want to know.

I looked at Kyo with a somber expression, unable to do anything other then that. I had been told very important things that night, all of which had a connection to the ghost Cat 'living' in Shigure's house once again.

_ "There are great and many things that you need to know yet can't now at the same time, and there are an equal amount of things that you do know that you should not. One of theses things is the existence of the sacred Jyuunishi members, the other is the true knowledge of an existing ghost. I know as well as you probably do that these two things should be erased from you mind forever, yet for some reason they haven't. Because you know of the Jyuunishi, you also know of the ghost - therefore, in order to erase one problem you can get rid of another as well. So tonight - even though I hate doing it to you dear Tohru - I'm not going to take away your memory, but instead add to your burden and force other things into motion. I am going to tell you the date that Sohma Kyo's sole will fade away if he has not finished the _Tear-ing_ process and reclaimed his body."_

_He then leaned up against the side of the building we had ducked into and looked up toward the night sky. His eyes were dark compared to his white fur lined coat, and I couldn't find it in myself to pull my eyes away from them. I felt my knees shake and my heart beat flutter, my palms suddenly sweaty. _

_ "As of now he has five members who have _Tear-ed_ for him, and one more and that's half way - true. But he needs more then three fourth's in order to get his new body livable again, but the more people he has the quicker it can be done. Yet I don't believe that Momiji, Rin, Kureno, Ayame, or Kagura will cry for him, and Kisa and Hiro are on the brink. That's more than six whom are next to impossible to convince that he's dead. He only has less then a year left - his fading date is the 14th of October, by the way. That's why I need you...dear Tohru, to help him..."_

He never addressed himself as anything other then Set, but for some reason I don't think angles can have names. I'm not sure why I believe him to be an angel, there's no solid proof or any reason to lead me in believing him to be one. He knew my name, and all of the Sohma's names, and he knew about Kyo - and the fact that he seemed to radiate some other type of power or something that I've never felt before helped. Plus, I would like to believe there is an angel watching over us-

"What the hell _are_ you staring at?" I fell back into reality as Kyo's voice halted my thoughts, rough but kind. I blinked - realizing I had been staring at him - and smiled slightly, a flush coming to my cheeks. He arched an eyebrow at me, and I laughed a little to brush off my embarrassment.

"Nothing..." I said simply, walking into the kitchen and picking up the last dish of food and walking into the dinning room. I settled the bowl into place and myself into my own spot next to Shigure - whom, like every morning, was chatting away to himself- and smiled again. Kyo sat - well, he hovered- at his place across from Shigure and added comments - when appropriate - to the Dog's monologue. Yuki remained passive for the most part - adding his thoughts in when he thought necessary as we started to eat. I - once again - found myself lost in thought.

I now understood what that...that _Tear-ing_ thing that Kyo had talked about in the hospital that one time was. Roughly, Kyo uses the tears that we shed to form energy in order to create a seeable body - among other things such as his 'magic'. The more energy he gets, the stronger and more alive he becomes - thus the reason he's now able to touch things for long periods of time. Kyo can now hold books and papers with his own hands and the only reason they would fall would be because someone who hadn't _Tear-ed_ would enter Kyo's energy circle. _Tear-ing_ is also the reason all of his cuts and scars are healing up nicely, and Set told me that if by some miracle we manage to get about nine out of twelve of them to _Tear_ for him that he'll get his body back - but it would only be as healed up as it could have been by those who have _Tear-ed_.

Basically, he told me that no matter what he was going to be reincarnated. The only catch was that if less than nine of the Jyuunishi circle for him his sole wouldn't be healed enough for his body to survive, and his hollow body would eat his sole and leave nothing left of him. And if that happened, it would be like he had never existed in the first place - his life would have been an extra one that fate did not plan for and death did not wait for...

I nibbled on the end of my chopsticks slightly, my borrow wrinkling. Set had also told me something that could alter our entire lives.

_ "Tohru-dear, there's another new addition to this lovely set up. There is something else that can happen, but I believe that it's price is too high for you to even consider - but unfortunately it's part of both agreements no matter what. IF he is unable to collect the tears needed to fill the gaps where his sole was ripped, the dead emptiness from those gaps will go looking for the next best thing - memories. Memories is the next step down from emotions, and if the void isn't filled from them it would take the most related memories from the people who have displayed the emotions. The way it really works is hard to understand, so to put it in simple sentences it means that if he doesn't get the tears, you loose the memories of him - and anything to do with him..."_

I would forget the past four and a half years of my life. Even the thought of that made me sick to my toes. I couldn't imagine what my life would be like without them, and now to be faced with that possibility...

"Tohru?" This time Shigure's voice broke my thought trail, and I dropped my chop sticks onto my lap and snapped my head to look at him. All three of them were staring at me with equal worry evident in their faces, and slowly I started to smile.

"Um...yes?" I laughed a little again. I needed to stop getting lost in my thoughts, they're distracting. Yuki smiled back at me and continued to eat his rice while Kyo rolled his eyes and slung his arms behind his head. Shigure continued to stare at me with a simple smile on his face, amusement sparkling his eyes.

"I wanted to tell you before I forget and before they come over. I invited those who would like to over for a New Years Eve dinner." He said it all without blinking a eyelash and without any hesitation at all, and as soon as the entire sentence left his mouth the room became dead quiet. Yuki's mouth hung open, his chopsticks half way between the bowl and his mouth. Kyo's arms fell and he stared - wide eyed- at the Dog, creating one of the best interpretations of a fish that I had ever seen.

I didn't move, trying to collect the information that was just given to me. Fortunately Yuki recovered quicker then I did.

"...What?" His voice was monotone, and the rice that was on his chopsticks fell off and back into the bowl. The old Dog just turned to look at him instead of me, that smile still on his face - the mirth in his eyes just about to fall out of him as laughter.

"In other words - for those of you who seem to be unable to understand what I said- I asked anyone who's willing to ditch the New Years Eve Banquet at the Main house to come over here for dinner." He grinned, pushing a stray strand of ebony air away from his eyes. "And because I brought it up, that must mean that someone is coming, right?"

"Your kiddin...right?" Kyo's voice came out a bit distant as he finally got his mouth movements under control. His shoulder shook slightly, his eyes wide. "You...you invited them over HERE?!"

Shigure blinked once at the ghost Cat, then blinked again - scratching his head.

"Well...yes. I didn't see much of a problem. It's not like Akito's coming or anything." He said simply, and immediately tension flew out of the room in such a gust that I was surprised I didn't feel it as a actual breeze. Yuki's eyebrow twitched.

"Shigure...why would you even_ think_ about arranging this before asking any of us?" He said simply, placing his chopsticks down on the table with such caution and concentration as he could. His hands shook slightly as his eyebrow twitched again. Shigure blinked.

"I didn't think it was that much of a problem...I thought we could attempt to have a better New Years Even then last years extravaganza." The Dogs voice was laced with sarcasm, but his eyes darkened in shades - something deeper moving under the chocolate depths. They hadn't told me what happened at the Banquet last year, but I think only Ayame, Shigure, Yuki, Hiro, and Ritsu could go and somehow...I don't think Akito was pleased. Apparently Yuki thought the same thing I did...

"But what about Akito? Wont he be angry? I mean...almost no one came last year..." He said simply, glaring at Shigure. He must of caught the glint in the writers eyes as well. Kyo was still staring at the Dog like he had grown seven or eight other heads, turning as pale as...well, a ghost.

"Who cares what Akito thinks?" There was a lot of bitterness in his voice, his posture and face becoming serious. "And who cares if it angers him? I've planned this and if Akito wants to be mad at someone, I'll take the fall. I want to have a New Years here where we can actually enjoy ourselves for once and not have to worry about _him_ lurking around."

Yuki blinked at him, as did I. Instantly I knew that there was something else going on between the Dog and his God that Shigure was **not **willing to share. There was a dark aura around him that was laced with contained hatred - the same type of aura he had after coming home sick from the Main house one time...

"And...whom, may I ask, is coming?" Yuki said carefully, eyes wide as his eyebrow twitched again. As quickly as Shigure smile had faded it came back again.

"Well...everyone, I think. I didn't ask Kureno about it cause he would of said something to Akito already - and he not that much for party's. I think Aya is coming later with Ritsu and Hatori, but everyone else should be here around 6 o'clock." The dog ran a hand through his hair then and smiled at me, then at Yuki, and then at Kyo. Kyo - meanwhile- had bowed his head slightly with his hair covering his eyes.

"Damnit, what about...what about _me_?" The cat said quietly, lifting his head to give Shigure one of the nastiest looks I have ever seen him give the Dog. Shigure's face fell instantly...

"What about-...Oh..." Shigure bit his lip and glanced at Yuki who looked just as downcast as Kyo did a moment ago. We all kept forgetting that he wasn't alive...That the others couldn't see him.

"Kyo-" I started, be he stood up and stared at me for a second- cutting me off. I felt the words die in my thought as I locked eyes with him, the crimson lakes aglitter with anger and pain. And before I had a chance to say anything else he pushed up and went through the ceiling - leaving me open mouthed and reaching for him...

Silence echoed in the room as I let my hand down, staring at it where it sat in my lap. Tears prickled in the corner of my eyes.

"I'm worried about Kagura..." Yuki said suddenly, and both me and Shigure turned to look at him. He was staring at his half full bowl of rice with a very intense look on his face. "...I'm worried what she'll do here, and I'm worried about what his reaction would be. I'm worried that if we missed someone who _Tear-ed_ and they have no idea that Kyo's here...what will they do if they find him? What will their reaction be? How would we explain it?"

Silence settled in again as I stared at Yuki, and then Shigure sighed.

"Que sera sera..." Shigure said, smiling as we both looked at him. "What ever happens will happen, and we'll get through it. Worry about it later though, you - " He looked at me with a smile. "-I'm sorry to say don't have much time. Dear Tohru, Queen of the Kitchen, Princess of the Pans, Devine Daughter of the Dished, Overlord of Onigiri, Angel of all things Good...would you do us the honor of cooking our New Years Ever dinner?"

I blinked at him for a second, and slowly my mind started to come back to me. If I was to cook dinner I needed...I needed so many things...oh..

"Sure! I mean yes! I'll...I...food, uwa...what should we ha-"

"-What ever you make will be fine, thank you."

"Then if you don't mind, I'll go to the market and pick things up. There's going to be...um..-"

"-thirteen." Yuki added lightly, picking up his chopsticks again.

"Thirteen of us!!" I repeated. _That was a lot of food..._"Good thing I went shopping the other day. I don't think I'll need as much..."

"We'll clean up here." Yuki added and glared at Shigure when the Dog looked at him weird. "It's not problem, just worry about the food."

And that's how New Years Eve day started. The Sohma family was coming for dinner, and brining with them - what normally followed the Sohma's- trouble. Then again, life wouldn't be the same without them...

**_3rd Person_**

The room was still dark, even in the daytime. Light sunlight that attempted to filter thought the thick drawn shades was deflected away from the dark, dismal room. Dust had started to collect on everything now - the shades for the windows, the lamps, the desk, for floor. A sets of footprints made their way through the dust to the dresser and the closet, then to a bed in the corner of the room. Spider webs started to string their homes across the corners and away from the ground, and in the darkness they hunted for food.

It had been a long time since anyone other then herself, her mother, or Momiji had opened that door - but today must have been a change. She didn't move from her bed as the door was pulled open, scattering the spiders in the corner and highlighting the dust that floated in the air. She watched the dust in the air that swirled around her pass over a picture she had bee staring at for what seemed like eternity. Time didn't matter anyway...

"Kagura?" They sounded so different from when she last heard his voice. She thought for a moment weather to blow him off totally and continue thinking or to allow him to enter her thought space. Shortly after he said her named did she turn around, deciding to give him the time of day.

He was a young teenager now, around 12 or 13 years old - how many years have passed? Light honey brown hair framed his face, small bangs falling over his deep brown eyes. It seemed shorter in the back, like he had a sort modified bole cut. His shoulders had grown a little, as did his neck and face. His eyes didn't seem so large in his head, and his clothes seemed to hang on his body rather then cling it it. He looked taller too...

A red long sleeved shirt covered his arms and exposed the slight dip of his collar bone. Jeans that were faded and ripped at the knees hung low on his hips and dragged on the floor when he walked. His feet were covered by thick white shock, his hands in his pockets - his face passive with his eyes half lidded. She felt herself smile at him. It was like he was from another life time...

"Hiro..." Her voice fell smoothly from her unused mouth and she sat up and turned more to face him. Her shirt was old and warn in - not by herself mind you. It's color complemented her dark brown-gray eyes, almost a silver against the darkness of the room. Her pants almost fell of her thin hips - the faded dark blue fabric worn in when the old Kagura was her old size and weight.

"I've come to get you...your going out." She laughed as he said that, a shrill and mocking laugh. Hiro just leaned up against the doorway of her room, face placid and arms crossed. She laughed long and loud, filling her entire room with the shrill cries of pain that laced her laughter. When he managed to get a glimpse of her face as she calmed down she sent him a bone chilling smile, and only then did he realize she was crying.

"I'm not going anywhere." She said smoothly, letting the tears fall softly from her face onto the bed. She then curled up into a ball, tucking her head into her arms and legs - still griping onto the faded picture. Bitter chuckles shook her body, and the entire time he didn't move.

"Kagura..." He said, funning a hand through his hair and daring to step into the time locked darkness of her room. He walked over to the bed and squatted before her, eyes growing shades kinder and voice becoming softer yet just as matter-a-fact like. "...It's New Year Eve...Shigure invited us over for dinner. Your coming."

She immediately stopped all movements, he body going ridged and freezing. Silence hung heave in the air as she slowly picked up her leaking eyes and meat Hiro's, a new light suddenly shining in her emotionless eyes.

"It's time then..." She said simply and uncurled herself. Kagura slowly pealed herself off the bed and walked over to the closet, opening it and looking through for something. Hiro watched amazed at the amount of activity she was showing, standing up and watching her with passive eyes once again. She dug through piles of clothes that lay on the floor of the closet, clearly looking for something.

"Time for what?" Hiro didn't even realized he said anything until Kagura turned around to face him, the item she was looking for secure in her hands. A ratty back pack was in her clutched hand, a honey-cream colored cat back pack that she had made once upon a time. She was staring at him with such an alive gaze that it unsettled him slightly, and was scared even more so when she smiled on of her old Kagura smiles.

"To wake up." She said simply pulling the old dirty bag on her back and walking over to the dresser, pulling out a pair of white shocks as well. She the turned to him again, a few steps away, and let her smile fall. "Time to go and say goodbye..."

She walked toward the door but stopped at the threshold, apprehensive to step back into time. She had lived in this time stopping darkness for so long she had no idea what was waiting for her outside. The time had come for her to go and find him - she knew it- and she was going to say goodbye for real.

Hiro stood shell-shocked and confused, staring at her back. She took a small scared step forward and into the light, then turned back to him with a flick of messy long brown hair.

"I _told _you all he would come back..." She said simply, stepping out of her room and into the world again- leaving Hiro with more to think about, with more he needed to understand then ever before.

**_Hatori_**

"What time do we need to be there Ha'ri?" He slipped into the front set next to me and immediately put on the seat belt, pulling on it twice before settling into the seat. I sighed and pulled a cigarette from the box in my front pocked, making a mental note to myself that I needed to get more before I came home.

"Six, and we need to pick up Ritsu and Ayame before we go." I responded, shaking my lighter and flicking it multiple times before I realized all the fluid was out. I sighed again and slipped the tube of tobacco that I so badly needed back into that box in my pocket. Momiji sighed next to me and ruffled his hair, locking his door and then looking at me. His face had changed but hadn't at the same time - his eyes just as big and that scar still as visible. My entire shoulder throbbed from remembering, and I rubbed that side of my neck with my free hand as the other cranked the engine of the car.

"I coulda gone with Haru." The Rabbits voice, and I felt my heavy heart sink. He never wanted to be in the same car that I was driving for considerable reasons, but it hurt even if it was justified. I no longer had any faith in my driving skills, but never the less I went on with hesitation.

"Haru needs to be alone for a while, Momiji. You know the easiest way he could do that is to ride by himself. He needs to pick up Kisa anyway, and I don't know how much worse his colds going to get so this might be the last ride he has for a while."

_I want to get away too. Ever since Shigure's last meaning with Akito, he's been unbelievably well behaved. It makes me sick and worried that something's going right in his little world and that something's wrong in ours. He also mentioned the books to me again, and I still have no idea what he's talking about. I should probably ask Shigure... _

"Haru's getting sicker, isn't he?" Momiji said quietly as I pulled out from my parking area and into the street. I sighed and nodded slightly as I pulled out that same cigarette again - forgetting I had no lighter fluid. Momiji watched as I stuck both back into my pocket, then turned back to the window.

I had no idea what was wrong with Hatsuharu - I could tell him if I wanted to. I could tell things were getting worse when he came home one night a few weeks ago...

_"Hatori! I'm here!" His voice echoed into my office and I got up, going to the door. He stood just outside still over the motorcycle, taking his helmet off. And with him was the first surprise of the night. _

_ "I'll be in in a second. I gotta to tell Kazuma that Kyo's waiting for him at the front gate. Be right back." He vaulted off his bike and shot down the pathway through the garden, ducking behind a building and flying out of sight. I blinked for a second, the started to walk briskly toward the front gate. There's little to no energy her for him to feed off of...no wonder Haru was rushing. _

_ As soon as I stepped out of the gate I felt the connection link between us. The desisted orange hair Sohma's outline came into view standing on the wall of the main house - unable to go any further in. _

_ "What are you doing here?" I said in a slightly toned down voice, not wanting to alert those who lived outside the wall that I was out. Kyo then dropped from the wall next to me and grinned, crossing his arms. _

_ "Hello to you to, Hatori. I'm here to see Kazuma..." He said, voice flat and further away then I've ever heard it. He was also see-through, another ad sign that something was wrong. I pulled a cigarette from my pocket and lit it, breathing the smoke of through my nose._

_ "Your taking a risk coming here Kyo." I said, looking toward the sky. "There's almost nothing to tak-"_

_ "-I know." He cut off in a gruff voice, eyes also cast to the sky. "And I don't care. I want to see him..." _

"Ha'ri...no matter how many times you do that, the cigarette wont light..." Momiji said as I came back to my senses, taking the rolled tobacco out of my mouth again. I didn't even realize that I had taken it out again...

There was a scrape and a hiss as a small flame came into view, and I followed the fingers on the end of it to Momiji's hands. Quickly I lit it and he waved the match out, then proceeded to put the match box back in the glove compartment. I inhaled the smoke and instantly I felt fifty percent better then I did before, mumbling a small thank you. He made a noise of acceptance, the continued to look out the window as well.

I was always aggravated after encounters with ghost-Kyo, guilt nibbling at my heart every time I though about it._ I had looked back at the three of them for a mere second...it's my fault he died. My eyes merely flickered from the road, the that car cam out of nowhere and ran right into me. Both Ayame and Shigure tell me not to blame myself, that the other guy ran into me..._

_ He ran into me...wait..._

I blinked and inhaled, letting the smoke stream out from my mouth. If I didn't know any better, I would think I was on to something...

He hadn't swerved...he ran straight into me, giving me no time what so ever to think of getting out of the way. There were no tire marks...no swerving on his part...

I felt the bottom of my stomach drop out, my heart beet quickening a few beets and my face gowning pale. _If what I thought was true...if it was even fathomable..._

_ Had...did that guy try to kill us?!_

**_Hatsuharu_**

This was the closest thing I would ever get to feeling free. The feeling of almost flying down a long stretch of black tar sky is the biggest amount of freedom I could ever ask for - that I could want. Power underneath me roaring away, the sound of the wind passing at great speeds, my own life in the palm of my hand.

Nothing mattered when I was riding Kyo's bike.

That's right... it's _Kyo's_ bike, not mine.

It was a new model Honda dirt bike RX12 or something, and it was classified right underneath a regular motorcycle. When we bought it for Kyo's 17th birthday - that is Shigure, Hatori, and Ayame bought it for his birthday - I had it painted white and orange by some of my friends. Afterwards Ayame drew up a decal that I paint brushed onto the back of it - it was a head of a cat holding up two fingers in a peace sign, the words 'Sexy Cat' written underneath in English. About 3 months after he died Hatori let me take the bike - before I got really sick- and I painted over all the orange, changing it to black. But I could bring myself to paint over the cat decal on the back - I ended up leaving it on.

I love this bike with all my heart, I know it like the back of my hand - but I would give it back to him in a second if he manages to come back. After all, it is _his_ bike...

I slowly back off the throttle as Kisa's house comes into view, and I spotted her standing outside. Her hair - a light brown-orange- was longer now, about as long as mine. Two pieces hung on either side of her face that were the same length that they had been when the accident happened, but it really just made her look cuter. Her frame was thin - shoulders rounded and hips narrow - like Kagura's. She had grown a littler taller too, and ever so slowly she was getting taller then Hiro.

A black velvet dress stopped in the middle of her thigh's, and underneath it she had on a pair of long black pants. A pair of riding boots covered her feet, and her three quarter sleeves left the rest of her arms open. A pair of my old fingerless gloves were on her hands, hoop earrings in her ears and hair tied back in a low pony tail. She smiled at me as I stopped in front of her, taking off my helmet that was really annoying the the new ear rings I had given myself - one cuff of the top of my right ear, and another in my left eyebrow.

"After noon Haru." She said sweetly, her voice a little stronger then it was before. _Good, she gaining confidence again..._"You look good!" She continued, and I grinned at her.

I had grabbed a white dress shirt off the pile of clothes I had in my room and spilled it on over an undershirt, leaving the last few buttons open. I also had yanked my favorite pair of baggy black jeans off the floor the hadn't been washed since last weekend and pulled those on, grabbing three chains of different lengths and connected things to the chains that went various places - to my key's, to my wallet, and to...another part of my pants. Three of four necklaces looped around my neck, ones of different heights and weights - didn't matter, I liked all of them the same.

Total getting dressed time: four minutes. I would have been finished in three, but I had to lace up my riding boots so they didn't get caught in the gears.

"You look good to, Kisa. Care for a date some time?" I said with a grin and she laughed and hit my arm, shifting her bag to the other side and grabbing the extra helmet that I had strapped onto the back. She slipped it on and flipped the visor up, snapping the buckle under her chin.

"In your _dreams_, Haru." She responded.

"If only." I shot back. She laughed again and swung on leg over the bike, looping her arms around me and hugging as tight as she could.

"Love ya, Haru." She mumbled, and I flipped her visor down as she settled her head in the middle of my back. I flipped mine down as well and revved the angry machine underneath us.

"Love ya too." I mumbled back, feeling her loosen her grip around my middle. I kicked the stand up and revved the engine again, then tensed all the muscles in my back - giving Kisa the signal that I was planning to go. She squeezed back and I kicked the shifter down and pushed us forward with a turn of my hand.

We had done this so many times I don't even think I needed to give he a warning before doing anything anymore. The girl could read my thoughts and knew exactly what I was going to do - sometimes even before I would know.

Too bad she didn't cry for him yet...that would make life a lot easer...

As far as I knew, it was only me, Tohru, Hatori, Kazuma, and Hana who knew about Kyo. Our little club was small, but growing...

And it didn't seem to hurt as much as it did before - my heart, I mean. With their help I was picking up the pieces of it faster then I had before. It wasn't enough though...

I kicked the shifter to switch into third gear and pushed forward, leaving those thoughts for another time. I felt my hair whip around behind me as Kisa's arms tightened as we turned another corner, and I let the wind carry all thoughts away. Who needed thoughts when your flying?

All I needed to know was that I was Hatsuharu. And that was plenty enough for me...

**_Kyosetsu_**

"Dinner with all the Sohma's...how very thoughtful Gure-san." I said to myself, hopping up the stairs in my cat form and walking into Tohru's room. Another quick hop got me on her bed, then onto the window sill. I watched as she walked with my descendant toward the pathway to the city, talking of sweet nothings that I knew he needed to hear.

"Your taking a _big_ step today Kyo-Kyo." I said to the wind, changing into my original from and brushing long orange strands away from my face. "Today you should collect another one, and you'll be at six...maybe seven if you lucky..."

The breeze played with my clothes and tossed my hair into my eyes again, and I sighed - my gaze shifting to the the horizon.

"You can stop stalking me Hitoko. It's getting irritating." I barked, letting my dead-voice carry thought the clearing. Neither Kyo or Tohru turned around, but someone dropped down next to me.

"I didn't want to distract you from you work Setsu, but it is new years after all. Come up for dinner...God's waiting." The voice was deep and calm, and slowly I turned my head toward him. Gray hair hung about his shoulders in random strands, and his eyes were a deep night blue. His nose was pointed slightly, his lips thin and his shoulders wide. A deep blue shirt waved lightly in the air, and his legs were covered with the same fabric as well -his feet two stories above the ground. White wings fell from his back with graceful feathers fitting perfectly within each other.

"Like I'm actually going to go..." I shot back at him, crossing my arms.

"This is your first time out in years Setsu, so come to dinner. Sheishoin, Simai, and Maro are waiting for us." He said, eyes flashing from me then back to the sky. I pulled my legs up against m chest and tucked my head into my arms.

"I'm not going. So tell Maro that I'll fight with her next time..."

"Your still avoiding Yukari after all these years-"

"Screw you!" I bit back, kicking off the window ledge and dropping to the ground. I spun around and stare up at him, and I felt that tingling sensation start to envelop my spine. I knew my eyes were turning violet, and I needed to get away from this situation before I change into my real from...

"Then I'll see you at the second warning Kyosetsu. Farwell..." And within a sweep of his white wings he was gone...and I was alone on earth again, my wings clipped.

I hated this curse...I hated Yukari...

_ Friends my ass...he's such a liar... _

**(End of the first part or Strange Happening's)**

Ranting: I know it's not that long, and I know there might be some mistakes, but I needed to get this out before I started finals. Yes, this is the end of the first part of SH, sad but I'm glad it's here. There is more -a LOT more- and it will come in due time...

Schools slowly coasting to a stop, but i have my Earth Science Regents Exams to study for now...fun, right? but other than that I have Senior tributes to do. That's about all, really...not much is going. This story has slowly become my life. I sat down yesterday around 6 o'clock, and wrote until now (10:30) and I finished it. It's short, but it leaves a lot of loosed ends.

Haha!! Look at that! There's a side story going on now!! Actually there are a few side stories going on now...Shigure/Akito book one, then the Kyosetsu one, then what ever is going on with Haru...then the split plot: Kyo getting his life back, and dealing with whomever took his real life away...

We now know Kyo's fading date, and what will happen if they don't succeed.

We saw a little bit of everyone in this. Tohru, Shigure, Yuki, Kyo, Hatori, Momiji, Haru, Kisa, Hiro, and Kagura (And the OC's I have...)

So...let me hear your questions and comments!!

Question of the chapter: Who is Hitoko?

Favorite Line: "Dear Tohru, Queen of the Kitchen, Princess of the Pans, Devine Daughter of the Dished, Overlord of Onigiri, Angel of all things Good...would you do us the honor of cooking our New Years Ever dinner?" -Go Shigure!!

Favorite Character: A Tie between two. Shigure with his postal worker attitude in the beginning, and Kyosetsu at the end. Lol gotta love them...Kagura though, in all her freakiness was pretty cool too...

Date Finished: May 31, 2004. 10 :30 p.m.

Date Edited: ===============

Moving along...

Adria: Thank you!! Glad you came and welcome to the series. I know...I can't spell, I'm sorry. Thanks again and hope to see you next time!

Caer: True, I was thinking about pushing back Yuki's _Tear-ing_ time till later, but Yuki's an important part in the over all ending. Flushes slightly thank you so much...Once again, sorry about the spelling...till next time.

HelloKat: Lolo! I know. As I said, they'll have to rely on each other so Yuki realizing that friendship is important. (Remembering what's going to happen later) Smiles And he'll prove the friendship too..._**THANK YOU**_ for being the only one _wishing me well._ I am better, but not 100% yet. Thanks a bunch and see you next time...

enjen: Now you know, he did see Kazuma. But as Hatori said, it's dangerous to be near the Main house...why? Well wait and find out. Just cause I didn't write about what happened in Kyo and Kazuma's conversation **YET**, doesn't meant that I won't...just wait.

Misaki: Lolo that was my plan. You were suppose to get caught up in the emotions as well and think that it would be Kyo...even though you knew he didn't see Kyo yet. I love writing them fighting, but I don't think they're be any more fights between the two of them - Kyo IS dead after all. Yet I you also gotta think about who else Kyo normally fights with...And I would love to talk to you online, but your never on when I am!! ARG!! Mail me, it's easer. ( DragonQueen222aol.com).

Mae Aloria: I know I cant spell, and I'm sorry. But why did you only review for chapter 3 and no more? Was my spelling that bad? You can't over look it? Thank you very much for the complements about my writing, and I'll work on the spelling...

riversprite77: You cried too! That's a complement itself, that I wrote enough to move you. Sigh's Guy...I know I can't spell. But does everyone have to say it every chapter?...Thanks for the help though. I'll fix that when I can...

yamatoforever: There's a lot happening, and you need to remember that one person can know more then the other. For example Hatori knows that Tohru and Haru can see Kyo, but not Shigure and Yuki. Also, Shigure - and now Hatori - are the only people who know that the 'accident' wasn't really a accident. Boy = Kyosetsu/Set/what ever names someone has for him, right? I thought it was nice in that way, and a bit different for the both of them...more emotional then normal for the Cat and the Rat. How quick is this...huh? Go me! O yea...sorry...Thanks!!

No bonus this time either. I think I'd rather let you stew in all this new info then give you something else that might give you an ulcer. As I've said before I don't think I'll post again in a wile, but i also said that last time too. And look, its almost been two weeks. My quickest update yet...I think...

By the way, I don't own FruBa. This plot and original characters are mine, but not Fruba itself. Any twisted, enhanced psychotic tendency, morbid reactions, deep and well deserved brooding and/or beating ones self up that happen to appear in the story are mine and I stake full claims with some help and idea's. Please review, and any flame will be laughed if not ignored. Please, have a nice day!

Talk to you guy's later!! Have fun thinking!!

Ja!

SAL-Chan


	12. Dinner With The Sohma's

Once upon a time, there was a place where I was happy. Where I could be myself and live my dreams - where the world was not my keeper, and my dreams were my life. There was a time when I was so happy I couldn't of wanted anything more then what I had. Life was perfect, life was bright, and life was mine.

Then one day...everything was gone.

I lost everything in a instant - my happiness, my world, my dreams - they were taken in the blink of an eye. Suddenly I was alone, cold, and on the floor, bleeding from places that aren't meant to bleed. My heart fell apart and I couldn't think, couldn't move, couldn't breathe.

I had been betrayed.

Betrayed by the person I trusted the most...

Paradise was shattered like it was never there in the fist place, falling away in little shards -and I was lost.

I was dead.

Then, I became a type of revenge that eats your soul and haunts your every thought - a monster. All I wanted was to kill the one who betrayed me, to make him pay for what he did, to make them all pay. They deserved it for doing that to me, for casting me out where I belonged. I hated them all, and that hate fueled me and changed me into a violent mass of muscle and hatred with the only thought of killing my best friend - my betrayer…

And only after the fire burned away and I remain standing did I realize the curse. Forever after will blood stain my hands –the blood of those who once trusted me and once laughed and played and stayed by my side. I am a murderer, a cold blooded killer - I am the ugliest thing that there ever was.. I am now the shape of hatred, of uncontrolled yet pinpointed rage, of pure and utter revenge, of hurt.

I realized all this as he stepped out of the flames in front of me, eyes dead cold and face set in a thin line. I said his name in a voice that wasn't anything distinctly human. It was my voice, but full of the screeching agony that I had felt and was feeling. It was horrible, and it made my broken heart shutter with disgust.

He said my name in the equally and always cold voice, flat and dead. I realized that moment that I was no longer the person I had been, and that we had both lost sight of that trust -that friendship- we once had. Then slowly from his belt he pulled his training sword - a double edged piece of diamond cut steel with a center grove- and in that moment I knew I was going to die.

That day, the bracelet of the Jyuunishi Cat was made by Sohma Yukari, the Rat, out of the bones of all my family members - including his.

And now - more then a thousand and something or other years before - I can remember the look on his face as his own blade slid through his body. I can still hear his voice in my head as he spoke an ancient incantation to create that bracelet, and I remember him smiling at me and saying 'I'm sorry...'

It's my faulty they are all cursed - and I truly believe that I have the heaviest pain, the hardest part of it all. I'm the one who started it, I'm the disgrace to the entire Sohma line - to the right of anyone's life. I'm a killer who will live forever with the memories of all my descendants who blame themselves for the curse when it really...my fault.

This is my purgatory. Eternity without self forgiveness. The blame for hundreds of people suffering through the ages. A killer of everything I ever really had. I'm destined to live forever and watch pain, hatred, and anguish...

And it's all my fault...

God, I'm sorry and I know I deserve this but...just _please_... let me free...

Strange Happening's

By SAL-Chan

Part Twelve: Dinner With The Sohma's

_**"Even though he was temporary, the memories are forever..."**_

_**Tohru**_

_-tomato sauce, and rice! That's it, that's everything!_

I smiled and placed the bag of shrimp in my basket and checked over my quickly written list. I had gone through all the things I needed for dinner with 13 people - most of which were male- and had written down what I didn't have in stock. I was going to try mankind a dish I found in one of my translated cook books - a dish that Americans seemed to like a lot: spaghetti with meat sauce. Shigure would have to use the forks he got as a present for it, because I don't think chopsticks will do very well.

I turned down another isle and found myself looking at chocolates that lined the walls. With a quick smile I snatched one of the bars off the wall and placed it in the basket, knowing fully well that chocolate was not on my list - but I wanted to feel a little greedy today. It's just a chocolate bar anyway, but I thought a second more and snatched a few more bars of different flavors for the others.

Smiling, I walked to the checkout counter and paid for everything, counting and laying out the money. As the girl behind the counter typed in my payment in the cash register I felt a chill creep up my spine and goose bumps fly down my arms. I blinked and drew in a cold breath, realizing what that feeling was and turned around to follow where the brush of cold had come from. Immediately I expected to see Kyo standing behind me or sitting on a checkout desk or something - yet when I turned around...he wasn't there.

Another cold feeling brushed against me and settled in the pit of my heart, and a dark feeling covered my entire being. All in all it was a bad feeling that covered me and it shook me to my very soul. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck slowly rise, and a shiver passed through me.

_Someone was watching me..._

"Miss?" I jumped and spun around, and a gasp was pulled from me as the cold feeling that had wrapped around me was yanked from the room. I blinked at the casher who had one of the most bewildered faces I had ever seen. She held out my change and raised an eyebrow at me, smiling slightly in a uneasy way.

I smiled at her slightly, another chill passing through me as I carefully took the change from her and nodded, walking toward the door at the same time. The hairs on the back of my neck still stood up straight as I stepped outside, and another cold feeling wrapped around me so quickly that it made me jump. I spun around and looked toward the sky, where the brush had come from and found nothing again, and that dark feeling was waving and filtering through me once more.

My heart been frantically in my chest as my eyes searched the sky. I knew something was there, that someone was watching me. And whom ever it was, they were not friendly. Then instantly the dark cold let go of me and flew away quicker then I thought possible as another type of cold - one that reminded me of grapes - seemed to hurry after it, then settle in me. I turned as if on instinct as that type of cold rushed through me - somehow knowing who it was.

Kyo instantly fell into my view, dropping from the ground in a glitter of his tear energy and a wisp of bright orange hair. Upon hitting the ground he looked up to me immediately, panting slightly still down on one knee. A second after he spotted me he stood up quickly and cast his eyes to the sky - in the same direction I had before. I spun around and looked as well, only to find the glittering of the sunlight and the smoky clouds in the sky.

"You alright?" Kyo asked breathlessly hollow, gliding next to me - eyes still glued in the same spot. I nodded slightly and made a soft noise of an affirmative. I took a moment to breath, my heart and mind racing. _Is it possible that Kyo felt the same thing I did? Did he came to see if I was alright? And beyond anything, was there actually something watching me? Could there be another ghos-_

"Lets go, Tohru." Kyo bit out, and I felt the energy connection link between us. I nodded and wet my suddenly dry mouth, taking a few steps backwards, then turning down another street - eyes still glued to that some spot that I had felt the black cold from. That feeling made me cold through and through, and I couldn't shake that feeling at all. I was scared....

"Kyo..." I mumbled with out a thought. "...was anything there?"

I felt a shudder go through our connection and I finally broke my gaze from the sky and looked at him - a mechanical roar echoing through the air. He was 'walking' with his head down, hands in his ripped pockets and biting on his lip just slightly. Ever so slowly I watched him become whole again, tired looking eyes glancing up at me for a moment, then back to the ground.

"Was anything..." He looked up toward the horizon quickly, face set in a grim line. He pushed off the ground a little and forced himself in front of me, making me stop in my tracks by the sheer force of his steady and strong gaze. I shuffled the bags in my hands and found myself stuck in his gaze - which for the first time was sturdy, blunt, and straight forward.

"Listen to me Tohru, and just do what I say. Forget whatever the hell you just saw - whatever you felt." His tone was dead and flat, and his eyes healed no shine. Seriousness etched itself in his face and distantly I remembered the only other time he looked at me like that - that night I first saw him at the hospital. Dead seriousness and demand, no questions asked.

My heart beat thundered in my chest and I nodded, trusting him for whatever reasons he had. I knew that whatever I had just experienced was something I shouldn't know about, and I listened to him despite the fact that I felt whatever had happened was extremely important. My heart stung and the world felt still.

A softer roar of a mechanical monster ripped through my still world and a cold that had encased me without my knowledge evaporated, and the world began again. I blinked as the roar became a distant moan and then a quiet hum beside me, my eyes still glued to Kyo. His eyes were a deeper color then I have ever seen, and the memory of the only other time his eyes had that color rang through out my head. Boiling hot anger and frustration made his eyes shades lighter, and hatred made them the color of blood. Dark, flowing crimson...

And for the first time in my life I was actually scared of him and what he could do. And I hated myself for it.

Someone's arms wrapping around my waist finally broke my gaze from his, and I almost stumbled over myself when I tried to turn and see whoever was attached to my back. As I turned I caught sight of a blob of black and white, and I realized as my eyes focused that the only person who would stop for me and owned that much black and white would be Hatsuharu.

The Cow sat on his quietly humming bike - helmet visor up so he could see. His eyes were crinkled at the sides with a smile I knew he had on, dress shirt wrinkled by the wind and -knowing Haru- from sitting on the floor of his room as well.

"Ne-Chan..." The name was nuzzled into my back, and instantly I knew Kisa's hands were wrapped around my middle. Her hug tightened for a moment, then let me go altogether, and she slid in front of me with the grace of a tiger. Her eyes were wide and happy, a smile gracing her growing face. I was surprised to say the least.

"What...what are you two doing here?" I asked, shuffling the bags in my hands again and smiling at Haru then Kisa.

"We're on the way to Gure-san's house. Haru wanted to be a little early, so...here we are." She smiled and the Cow on the bike took off his own helmet, running a hand through the top part of his hair. His face was neutral, but his skin was still slightly pale with a unknown lingering illness. I watched his eyes flicker from behind me - where I expected Kyo to still be- then back to my face.

"Why are you still out here Ne-Chan? It's almost five o'clock." Kisa dropped her head to look at a watch she had pulled from a pocket inside her pants. It was then that I noticed Haru's influence on the younger Sohma's clothes; black velvet thigh high dress with pants underneath - black boots included. It reminded me of him...

"I needed to finish shopping for us tonight. Shigure just told us this morning about you coming over..." Kisa giggled when I said that, and Haru shook his head with a small smile on his face.

"That's Shigure for you..." The Cow mumbled, and slowly the smile fell off his face. He wasn't looking at me anymore, but past me - eyes slowly turning serious. I looked over my shoulder quickly and caught sight of Kyo, arms crossed and eyes still blood red - face plain and pale with death. For the first time, he truly looked like a ghost.

"Tohru." Haru said suddenly, and I turned back to him in time to see Kisa walking back toward the bike with one of my shopping bags in her hands - I hadn't even realize that she had taken one. Haru's arms were outstretched toward me, with his black and white riding helmet held out, face blank. "Need a ride home?"

I stood there for a second, wondering whether I should decline or take the ride. Though the question he asked me wasn't even a question at all - not really- and Kisa's was already seated behind Haru with the bag in her hands, helmet on and visor up so she could look at me - I didn't really have a choice. I guess the decision was already made for me...but I didn't want to leave Ky-

"Go with them, and don't worry 'bout me." The Cat slid past me through the air and stopped next to the bike, near Haru's outstretched hand. His face was still grave and his eyes still that color red, but his voice was the same as it always was - not like a moment before. I wondered for a brief moment if he could read my mind - truly wondered if he was able to. So...I tried it out...

_What will you do?_ I thought, shuffling my bags around again while staring at him.

"There's something I need to take care of before I go home. Don't worry..." he said, grinning slightly as I felt my eyes go wide. "And no, I can't read your mind..."

Haru laughed. A short laugh that made his eyes glitter - a laugh he desperately needed. I smiled at him and Kyo grinned, but there was something that snagged at the corner of it all. Something darker...

"Come on, it's getting late." Haru said, laughter subsiding. Kisa was staring at his back with a blank look on the part of her face that I could see - staring at him like he was crazy. It wasn't new for the both of us now that Kyo was here, but it was still unsettling that the majority of the family though we were insane.

Tentatively I reached out and took the extended helmet, then slowly looked up at Haru, question in my eyes.

"Don't worry, I've ridden without it before." He said calmly as Kisa patted the set behind her, a smile lighting her eyes. So I guess all the Sohma's had the ability to read my mind...

Kisa took the bag from me as I fumbled with the helmet, finally getting it on and locking it under my chin. I clumsily got on behind Kisa - suddenly very happy that I had had the sense to put pants on today- and took the bag back, placing it in my lap.

"Just put your arms around me and you'll be fine, don't worry." Kisa said to me, unable to see me through the sides of the helmet. She lightly looped her arms around Haru's middle, the package of groceries sitting in her lap, protected by her arms. I copied her position as well as I could. It wasn't like I was _that_ scared of the bike...

"Go slow." Kyo's voice was almost a growl, and I suddenly noticed the ring of dark violet that circled his pupil and stretched into the rest of his iris like small veins. My soul froze, my breathing stopped, and I could suddenly taste my heart beat in my mouth.

"I will." Haru mumbled back and Kisa's hand came out of nowhere and closed my visor, the harnessed monster underneath us roaring to life again. Something underneath us clicked and I felt Kisa lift her legs up, and I followed her actions. But my eyes never left Kyo's face until we pulled forward and past him.

My heart hummed with some unnamable emotion that was a step closer to fear then I would have liked. Something very bad was happening - something I could get involved with, but shouldn't for my own safety - but I had _felt_ it in the air.

It was then that I realized that I was suddenly afraid of Kyo. Afraid of what he could do, afraid of what he would do, afraid of _him_...

This was not good...

**_Unknown_**

"How much longer do we need to wait?! Damn, you have no idea how boring this is getting! How do you have so much patience for this?!?!" I turned to him with a sweep of my wings, and suddenly I was stuck looking into two perfect orbs of midnight blue. His gray hair made no indent in his gaze as the wind played with it, and I felt the weight that his eyes held on me. And despite myself and my better judgment, I gave him a nasty look back.

_"What_?" I asked, pushing a peace of my golden brown hair behind my ear. He just sighed and looked back down, pale lips pulled down in a frown. Hot dog, he was cute...excuse the pun.

"We still have to let him try." Another winged man dropped in next to me, copper colored hair fluttering down his back to hover around his knees. His flushed red cheeks was the only color on his almost white face, his eyes the color of liquid paper with the pupils slit. His long arms were crossed over his thin chest, legs crossed at the ankles below him. He was covered in a white tank top with gold around the edges, his pants pooling around his feet. I crossed my eyes and huffed at him too.

"The both of you suck." I mention lightly, brushing back my shoulder length hair again. "And you , Atsuo, have no excuse to suck. You want to do this as badly as I do."

Atsuo laughed, his grin showing his perfectly white teeth - two long fangs included. In a swoop of a thin bony hand, he pushed some random strands of his copper hair behind him and smiled past me.

"It is redemption, dear. We're required to let him try...it's our fault after all." His voice was smooth, crawling under my skin. I shook it off and turned back to my original companion. "And what's your excuse, Hitoko? You think he deserves a second chance?"

"I never said he _deserved_ a second chance..." Atsuo added, sweeping in front of us so we created a triangle. "I'm just saying the he deserves _to try_...he'll probably fail like all the others..."

"Same difference anyway." I bit back, and Atsuo frowned. Hitoko's eyes were still pointed down at Earth, still that same troubled blue color.

"You're a lot different when you're not old, you know that?" The comment made me glare at the white eyed man. I snorted at him and flipped him off.

"Well you're a lot different dead too." I added with a grin, and he flipped me off as well. Gotta love family bonding.

"It's going to happen anyway..." For the first time since he came back up Hitoko's tenor came from his pale lips, eyes wavering to the two of us. The older man sighed and crossed his arms, natural gray hair whipping in front of his face again.

"Then why the hell are we **bothering**?!" I bit back, anger creeping up my spine. A sturdy hand captured my shoulder and made me look into Atsuo's eyes again, only to notice the same question floating around his mind as well.

"If it's going to happen, why do we need the warnings?" Atsuo added in a more normal voice then I was able to, eyes suddenly glued on the other man's face. Quiet creped into our triangle, the wind pushing my hair out from behind my ears again. Slowly Hitoko turned his eyes toward us, and I instantly regretted yelling at him. Sadness and loyalty were buried into the very depth of that midnight blue, a shiny cover protecting the night sky   
from escaping his eyes.

"It's not that...nothing like that at all. Death is going to come for him if nothing changes anyway..." I didn't understand him at all. He said that it won't work, but it will...there was something I didn't know that he did.

"What are you not telling us?" I asked as Atsuo's hand dropped from my shoulder, his face falling as well. I watched things connect behind his white eyes and he turned to me quickly, startled.

"Books..." One word and I understood. I remembered what I told the reborn Dog before I died - the double cursed years- and everything came back. I felt my mouth hang open in a full and utter astonishment, eyes glancing over and wide.

"Certainly he not going to..." I started, but Hitoko shook his head and looked down again. Strong and skinny arms enveloped me from behind as Atsuo's spicy sent filtered through my nose, and I clasped both hands over my mouth.

"Who was the first to die in the last circle?" Atsuo's tenor was rough and low, almost at a hiss. I wasn't sure if he was talking to me, Hitoko, or himself.

"Yukari." Hitoko said quickly, his voice almost a growl. A string of curse words fell from my mouth, and I pushed away from Atsuo and was in front of Hitoko in a flash, his deep blue robed crumpled into my fists. I was inches away from his face, my black eyes on fire, anger and fear griping at my heart.

"Then I'm _next?!_ So you're saying that no matter what, mine will die next **_anyway_**?! That...that _thing_ will kill him?!" I was shrieking in his face, tears dripping from my eyes. The night blue color never faded from my sight, and he never blinked or spoke as I nestled my head into the crook of his neck and let myself cry.

"Shigure's going to open the book and find out, Simai. In fact, he probably already knows - or is in the process of figuring out. There should be another 40 years tacked onto your host's life, so this second chance won't matter anyway. We're going to have to kill him...again..." Hitoko's hand came up to cup the back of my head, and his other arm looped around my waist. This was comfort for any soul...

"That, or we convince him to come back..." Atsuo was still calm and reasonable, so a point for him on that. I laughed into Hitoko's shoulder.

"He _won't_ come back...you know it, I know it. Hell, everyone knows it..." I sighed and got myself comfortable on the gray haired man's shoulder, my body shaking. "We won't be able to kill him anyway..."

"Yukari will..." Hitoko said it so suddenly that it surprised me. I pulled back from him, surprised etched on my face. Midnight blue was calm and quiet, the definition of serious. I shook my head.

"Yukari won't kill him again and you know it..." I said, shock echoing in my voice. Hitoko shook his head at me, pain etching itself in his face.

"If Kyosetsu starts killing again, in what ever way he would - even if he didn't mean to, Yukari will kill him. And if Kyosetsu stays in or is even with his descendant on earth and that happens, Yukari wont have a choice - he'll kill them both. They're not going to die the same way we did, Simai. Hisoka won't let it happen again if he can help it -and he can, with Yukari. So even if Kyo survives..." He stopped and let me go, unable to look at me anymore then I could look at him.

"...Shigure will still know," Atsuo continued, face slowly become grave. "-then Akito will know, and it will start all over again. Friendship, betrayal, death and destruction, redemption. Only this time the players will change..."

"What will happen to us?" I mumbled, suddenly afraid and determined. My soul would cease to exist before I let Setsu do this again...I would kill him before that happened...

I just might have to...

_**Tohru**_

"How did you manage to make all of this food in such a short amount of time?" Shigure's voice was full of awe as he picked up a shrimp from the plate and ate it, a slow and lazy smile coming to his face.. I smiled and mixed the slowly heating red sauce again, hitting the wooden spoon on the side of the pot and covering it to heat more. Not ready yet...

"This is orgasmic..." The Dog sighed and licked his fingers, and immediately after he said that random object flew at him from different rooms and different directions.

"Don't be perverted tonight Shigure...." Hatori's calm voice was ended with a loud smack to the back of Shigure's head, his face calm and neutral. The Dog dropped down out of the line of fire with a whimper and sat on his haunches, rubbing the back of his head among other achy parts of his body that had been hit by flying books and cans.

"Table's set Tohru!!" The small blond skidded into the kitchen, slamming into a brick wall that was Hatsuharu. The Cow didn't move or flinch at his post at the counter and continued making salad, but Momiji fell backwards and landed with a small thud on his rear end. Laughter echoed through the kitchen - most of with was from the small Rabbit sitting on the floor - and I smiled.

"Tohru!" I spun around quickly to face the surprised voice, only to find Ayame - covered in a apron that had cow spots on it - fighting with the bubbling water of the spaghetti and losing. The water flew out of the pot within small bubbles and fell onto the burner, hissing at the white haired Sohma. He hissed back at it and I moved quickly to shut off the heat, affectively ceasing the hiss. He smiled down at me, gold eyes flickering.

"You truly are a savior-"

"-Shut up. Before you even start, shut up." Yuki's quiet voice filtered across the room from where he was working on shutting Shigure's silver utensil box. Ayame smiled and pushed stray pieces of hair behind his ears. Before he could come back with anything Hatori shot him a glare, and the Snake shut up immediately.

"Where's Kisa?" Haru asked the room as he helped the Bunny to his feet. Momiji dusted himself off and smiled up at the Cow.

"She outside with Hiro and Ritsu." He said, eyes glittering like they once did before. The phone rang amidst all that chaos in the kitchen, and I watched Shigure slid out and answer it. I turned my back on the conversations going on in the little kitchen and opened a cabinet, pulling out a bowl for the pasta and one for the sauce. The cabinet closed by itself and surprised me, but I caught a glimpse of a pale hand on the corner of the door, and I smiled up at him. Yuki smiled back, having no idea why my heart was beating as quickly as I could think.

I was scared that it had been Kyo. Gods....

Two seconds later, I handed a bowl of red sauce to Shigure - who slid back into the room after telling us Rin couldn't make it- a large bowl of pasta to Ayame, a plate of Italian bread sticks to Haru. Momiji got the variety of carbonated beverages, Yuki took the plate of shrimp and sauce, and I took the large bowl of salad. The parade of food marched into the dining room - which was expanded to fit another table from Shigure's office so there was enough room for all of us to sit. Well, enough room for the 10 of us that were going to eat.

Kisa fumbled into the room with a laugh, followed by Hiro who had a nasty grin on his face. The two of them shot past all of us and skid into the kitchen, and a moment later, a very tired and out of breath Ritsu stepped into the doorway.

"I'm sorry... I couldn't keep...up with them..." He said, panting in between words. Hatori said something to him and I stepped into the kitchen and called after them. A moment later Kisa slid into the room, Hiro right behind her - both had innocent smiles on their faces, and both panting slightly. I laughed and ushered them into the dining room where everyone was picking out seats. I made it halfway to the other door in the kitchen that connected to the hallway when Hiro stepped back in, a grave look on his face.

"Don't bother calling Kagura. _You_ can't do anything for her..." The words were there, but the spirit that Hiro normally had was not. I stared at him and watched covered emotions clash behind his dark burgundy eyes, and sighed. Maybe he was right...

"Tohru! Come! We're ready to eat!!" Shigure's voice flooded into the kitchen from the doorway, and Hiro turned without a word and entered the room. I listened to the sounds of the Sohma family filter through the doorway and I smiled, truly happy.

The only regret I had when I entered the dining room was that Kyo couldn't share this with us...

_**Kyo**_

I cursed and pulled the rest of the memory energy off of the grocery store and concentrated on centering it inside myself, making my form whole again. There was enough to get me home only if-

"You thinking of going anywhere, _boy_?" The man said, his booming voice coming out through gurgles of blood as he grabbed my arm - again. The man in front of me was tall - like 6"6'- with broad shoulders and half a face. The entire right side of his body looked as if it hade been eaten by a lawn mower, or as if he had been dragged by a car...

"You can't leave yet." The girl with the long black hair and half her spine poking out of her neck said, circling around my back and purring as she spoke. One of her legs was disfigured at the knee, and both of her arms were out of their sockets. Blood continually dripped for the back of her neck and from her nose - which looked to be broken- and hit the ground with sickening splats, evaporating instantly afterwards. She smiled and she looked like she was missing almost all of her teeth. My bet was she got hit by a bus or something...

I was dealing with some major next level nightmare shit.

If I could I would vomit, but since I hadn't eaten anything in about two years that was kinda impossible - it probably would have made me feel a hell of a lot better though. Just another run in with the city's dead and angry ghosts. Who knew people could be so brutally killed in front of a grocery store?...

"He doesn't look very dead..." The girl said, crossing her arms over the front of her bloody school outfit. The man nodded, and I couldn't help but stare at the small part of his brain that was showing. Oh yeah, I could feel the nightmares creeping up on me now...

"He's dead though." He said, blood falling from his mouth in clumps. Good God, I needed to get the hell out of there.

I pulled my arm as hard as I could backwards, and I heard a satisfactory click as his thumb broke - or broke again, whichever way you look at it. I pushed strength into my legs and picked the sturdiest leg to stay on the ground as I spun the other one around and hit the guy on the good side of his head. He flew off into traffic, and a instant later School Girl was on top of me, a wicked grin on her face.

"You still have some fight in you now, don't cha?!" she shrieked at me, and I hit her as hard as I could with my right arm. She fumbled sloppy off of me with another sickening scream, and I was off and running a instant after that. If I could just concentrate on home I could-

Something - pure and cold- slammed into my back and made my outline shutter. I actually hit the ground and slid, my face and arm grinding against the pavement. I felt the stitches tear on my cheek and I tasted blood in my mouth - a sickly copper taste, but a taste nevertheless. That same power slid around me and strapped me to the ground.

"Ya gotta be kidding me..." I mumbled to myself, pulling up at the store's memory energy to make myself whole again. I only had enough to do that maybe one or two more times, or get home. I closed my eyes quickly and pictured my room and willed myself there...

A hand laced through my slightly long hair and yanked my face up, my eyes opening instantly. School Girl sat on top of me, a grin on her face as she trailed a bloody finger down my ripped cheek. I felt her hand on my cheek...

"Oh Orange, you're hurt..." She said, pouting her lips. I spit at her and struggled to move my arms but found I couldn't, so I tried to concentrate on the field at home, Shigure's office, my room...

A finger found it's way into my cheek and I screamed. When the blinding whiteness went away, I found School Girl's face puzzled, her hand covered in blood - most likely my blood...

"You're bleeding," she murmured, black eyes wide in amazement. I watched her dip her hand down to the concrete sidewalk near my cheek and pull more blood away. I felt something leaking out of a part of my cheek, and I believed her - I was actually _bleeding_. She gripped my shirt with the non-bloody fist, eyes still on the tear in my cheek.

"**How are you bleeding**?" she asked, and I felt the power around me push me to the ground harder - squeezing out the air I had in my lungs and crushing my chest. _I know I said I wanted to feel, but this is fuckin' ridiculous!_

"Convert the energy into yours." A voice said from behind me, and instantly I felt that bubble of anger attack me. School Girl's head shot up as fast as mine went backwards, and low and behold there he was - grinning in all his unearthly glory. I felt myself growl at him without a thought, without meaning to.

"Shit, you could help me ya know!" I shouted at him, but he simply brushed an almost-the-same-color-as-mine orange strand of hair out of his eyes and crossed his arms, staring down at me - eyes black and void.

"I am helping..." he said lightly, and I felt School Girl shift on top of me. Something wet slid across the cut on my cheek and I froze, my stomach dropping out and my heart stopping. I watched one of his orange eyebrows raise as I stopped my breathing as well and just let myself be dead, because if I was dead I wouldn't feel it. At least I hoped I wouldn't feel it...

"You taste good..." She purred on top of me, and I felt my eyes widen. No she did **not **just lick me...if there is a God, this couldn't be happening.

Slowly I turned to face her, still keeping my heart and breathing at a stand still - I didn't need either, but they were a small comfort. My eyes glue themselves to her mouth - or more accurately to the blood that was smeared all over her mouth, a smile on her lips.

Oh, that's right, I had forgotten. God doesn't _like_ me...

"HoleymotherofGodKyosetsu_ifyouvalueyourfuckingsoulatallyouwill**getherthehelloffofme**_**RIGHTNOW**!!!!" I said it in one breath as I let my heart beat start up again, letting it beat so fast I through it might explode. School girl smiled at me, giggling with a crazed edge to it. He black eyes were whole and alive, but no body was home....

"Concentrate and calm down. Makes yourself whole again, then close your eyes and look at the binds. Use your energy and pull the binds into you, then convert the energy into your own." Kyosetsu said in a clearly calm voice, and on the edge of my vision I saw his hand extend forward - palm out - toward School girl and I felt her freeze on top of me - her body going ridged, unmoving.

"Now do it." His voice was distant in my ears, the world slowly becoming gray. I was loosing touch- shit, not good!

I closed my eyes quickly and grabbed a decent amount of energy and pulled it to the surface, letting it wash over me. With my eyes closed I could see the _Tear-ing_ and memory energy that I had in myself, the swirling colors coming together to create a grape-lavender energy that I recognized as my own. The color flowed around me, wrapping my thoughts in a blanket of warmth, extending outward in a lazy and completely comfortable-

"Concentrate." Kyosetsu's voice was sharp and exactly what I needed to get back on track. I grasped onto that energy and stuffed it back inside me - though it was reluctant, it listened and wrapped itself inside of myself. It seeped into my skin, and slowly the outline of the School girl came into view. It was deep black - a midnight color, and when I brushed my energy against the blackness it didn't move. I stretched the energy out more and brushed across another midnight black energy – probably that Half-face that I had knocked across the street before. That energy was moving back towards us, angry and flaring.

Reaching out in the other direction I brushed across a darker violet energy, almost black but not. The moment I touched it, it lashed out and raced around me - locking me in a suffocating embrace.

"Don't play with me Kyo. I'll kill you..." was all he said, and the darker violet let go of me and I pulled my energy back to me. _Note to self: Don't play with shit you don't understand yet. This - he- would be one of them..._

I could see the things that held me to the ground now, the same black energy that School Girl gave off. I slowly laced my grape color power around it - parts of my power molding together to look like a pair of hands and pulled, but it didn't move.

"I can't get it-"

"Pull harder," he said simply, and I felt anger bubble in the back of my mind. I grabbed at the black rope again and pulled, yet this time I yanked it off. It squirmed in my grasp, fighting as hard as it could to get back to it's creator.

"Damnit, how do I change it?!" Frustration made me bark at him, and I felt my grape energy thread through her black rope and pull on it, and slowly the black became the same color as my grape energy. I pulled the energy into me, and suddenly I felt too full - like there was to much in me. I was full, even without attaching myself to anyone. It was so strange to feel so much after feeling so little before, but I soaked it in and let it course through me.

I held onto that as reality smacked my in the back of the head, literally.

A hand had laced through my hair and smacked it against the concrete. Stars fluttered behind my eyes as reality came into view again, once again I found myself face to face with School Girl.

"Now force it out at her." It was a simple command - but a command nevertheless. I growled - ignoring the pain I felt for a moment- and pushed the power through my arm and let it coil in my fist. One quick swing and she was over the wall and in the grocery store again. I sat up a bit gingerly and my head swam.

"Note," his voice was mocking as he sat next to me, a grin on his face. "that when you are attacked by other supernatural forces, they can and will hurt you. Note as well; If you get hurt by another force, you actually get damaged. Thus you need to heal again, thus you need to use more _Tear-ing_ energy."

"You're a pain in the ass-" I winched and lightly touched the back of my head. It came away sticky and coated in red. "..._shhiiiiit_! No kidding! Man, my head hurts..."

"I would think so." He sat, running an hand through his hair. He chuckled, a his grin crinkling the edges of his black eyes. "She just tried to crack the sidewalk with your head after all."

Someone shouted over everything, but no one moved - except us dead people, like always. Half-face hobbled through a wall on the other side of the road and continued to walk across the street, walking through every car in his path. Kyosetsu's face scrunched up and he sighed, standing up and brushing his pants off. A normal pair of straight legged jeans covered his legs and a red shirt hung on his thin frame like it would on a scarecrow. A black jacket covered his arms and once he brushed himself off, he put both hands in their respective pockets.

I stood shakily next to him, my breathing tight. It still felt like there was too much in my chest, but not so much since I punched the school girl. No regrets about it though, even though she is - well, was a girl. She tried to see if she could meld my head to the concrete, so she deserved the punch.

Half-face stumbled to the side walk a few feet from us, huffing and puffing. His eyes dragged over Setsu, then back over me and slowly a smile came onto his face.

"Mimi roughed you up a bit, didn't she, Orange...well, Orange One." The grin was almost as bad as Shigure's. God, did I want to see how far my fist would fit into his head-

"Well, it's not as bas as what I'm going to do with you." Kyosetsu's voice was low, his eyes closed and a smile on his face. We both gave him a odd look, but his smile just grew.

"Yea right, _shrimp_! What can _you_ do?" He laughed - which was probably a bad idea. I felt his energy boil around me and I took a step back, wobbling slightly. I guess I could have a concussion, but I don't know if that's possible when you're dead. I've never had one before - neither Haru or the Rat have tried to pound my skull into the ground, and the only other time I had hit my head this hard was in the accident. Sure Haru did get a hold of a bat that one time, but that was my fault to begin with. My arm slipped back into place after he hit it as well, so no major harm was done. I died in the accident, so I really don't remember if I had enough blood loss or brain damage or whatever to have a concussion.

Kyosetsu smirked, and instantly I knew that I did not want to get on his bad side.

"Wait and see." His eyes slid open, the black that had once been there now a deep dark violet. In a graceful movement he set his legs shoulder with apart and dropped his hands to his sides. Wind picked up around him and flung his hair and his clothes as far up as they could go, and I think it was then that Half-face found himself outclassed. The smirk turned into a full fledged grin, and as slowly as he lifted his hand toward Half-face.

The man let out a scream and simply evaporated into thin air, tossed away by the wind. Any trace of his energy was gone, like he was never even there in the first place. Not too flashy or visual, but very effective. I didn't want to ask where he went - I didn't want to know.

I definitely didn't want to get on his bad side.

"Go home Kyo." His voice was grave and rough, and he didn't turn around. Slowly he put both hands back into his pockets, and I saw him take a deep breath. "Someone's waiting for you..."

I felt my heart beat in my mouth and I nodded even though I knew he couldn't see it. Frankly I wanted to be anywhere but here at the moment and thought of home - my room - and pushed myself there. But frankly, I didn't want to be home either...

I knew what was waiting for me...

...and that was something I was more scared to face then an angry vengeful spirit of the Cat.

_**Tohru**_

"Ah...that was good." The statement was followed by the ritualistic euphoric smile, and as soon as it was said, Shigure leaned back and patted his stomach. The glare that Yuki normally sent Shigure was in sync with Hatori there, and immediately following the sudden quiet, Ayame burst out laughing.

"I don't understand. What's so funny?" Kisa asked, looping her arm through mine again. She had separated from me to eat, but she had quietly demanded to sit next to me during dinner - settling on my left. Across from her Haru and Momiji grinned, and next to Kisa, Hiro sighed. I sat on the end of the right side of the table, Shigure sitting at the head. Yuki took up his normal spot on the left side of the table across from me, dressed in a blue long sleeved shirt - I had warned him about the red meat sauce on white- and a pair of jeans. Next to Yuki sat Haru, whose white shirt made it all the way through dinner and remained white. Momiji - in a short sleeved yellow shirt and tan pants a few sizes too big for him- sat next to Haru, and unfortunately his shirt didn't make it through as well as Haru's did.

Across from Momiji was Hiro, who was dressed in a red long sleeved shirt with a high collar and a black pair of jeans, a bored look on his face. A small spot of red sauce sat on his chest, but he played no attention to it whatsoever. Ayame - who sat next to Hiro - looked perfectly flawless in actual clothes. A light violet turtleneck covered all of his upper body and then some, and thick black pants contrasted his striking hair - which was tied back from the pasta that seemed to have it out for him since the beginning. Across from Ayame was Hatori who was still dressed in his work clothes - a pressed white dress shirt and black slacks. His tie was loosened and hung onto his neck without care, the tie black with the words 'Happy New Year' written in the center along with different colors of confetti. When Shigure asked him about it, he just said that he dressed up for work this year. Ritsu sat next to Hatori in a soft pink shirt and dark blue pants that were a few sizes too big for him and his thin frame, his hair pulled back into a low pony tail. I guessed that they were Ayame's clothes just because I suspected Ritsu had fallen and torn his own. When they came in today the Monkey just kept asking the Snake for forgiveness until he was dragged away by Kisa.

Dinner had gone smoothly, the only catastrophe had been Ayame's elbow catching his glass and knocking it into the empty set next to him.

There were two seats open at the table, the one next to Ayame and the other seat at the end of the table. Normally the three of us left one seat open - the one across from Shigure- for Kyo, and as Shigure predicted they would, the rest of the family (Who hadn't _Tear-ed_) kept swinging glances at the end of the table. The other seat...well, we just left it open in hopes that Kagura would join us somehow...

I didn't talk much during dinner. I was happier just listening to the rest of them talk to each other and enjoy themselves- and that's what made me happy. We forgot our troubles and became a normal family - myself included- and spent a lovely dinner talking about nothing important but everything important at the same time.

That's something I noticed from the family, now that I know about Kyo and all. Everyone else takes each other in stride; there are no ill feelings and no hatred in anyone's eyes. Yuki actually tolerates Ayame, Ritsu's constant apologies have diminished to about one apology every twenty minuets, Hatori's letting himself smile more often, Momiji actually listens and takes in everything someone says, Hiro's rants have cut back to snappy comments, and Kisa speaks out more and enjoys life.

Shigure and Haru are the only two among us that seem to have held onto who they are – Shigure's always joking and Haru always white (unless provoked by a outside force). And strangely, I like the comfort that it brings. It lets me know that some things will never change, no matter what happens or - in our case - who dies.

And in the midst of all the conversations that I half listen to, I managed to turn just in time to catch Yuki's eye. I smiled lightly, happy to actually see him speaking out and talking to the others. And to my surprise, he smiled back, a full smile that makes his eyes light up and his face glow. A smile that made my heart beat race in my chest and a warm feeling rush into my cheeks.

And I loved it...

But as soon as our eye contact was made, it was broken as Yuki looked up suddenly. I watched his eyes widen, dark and dreary thoughts echoing around his head. An instant later, I saw Haru's head swivel around and look in the same direction Yuki was looking, dark gray-black eyes suddenly echoing in silence of stopped thoughts. Shigure's dark head swiveled in that direction as well, but nothing moved behind his chocolate eyes - only the edges of a smile pulled at his lips. I turned to -my curiosity piqued - and I suspected my face went through the rapid changes that everyone else went through as well.

In the light of the kitchen, Sohma Kagura looked much older than I would have ever guessed she could. Her hair was neatly brushed down around her shoulders - and I distinctly remember her hair being pulled up and disheveled when she came in. Her thin frame was covered by a short sleeved black shirt that I'm sure everyone in the room remember instantly, no matter how deep they bury the memory. She let the sleeves fall as far as the wanted to, her figure not matching Kyo's clothes at all - her shoulders were a lot smaller then I remembered. Her own blue jeans that were faded at the knees, but mostly covered by Kyo's old baby blue sweatshirt that she must have taken from my room. Her feet were bare, despite how cold the floor was, and in her hands she still held her old cat backpack - newly sewn up and as fixed as it could get.

Yet it wasn't the fact that she was actually standing at the dining room doorway that surprised me, nothing like that at all. It was her eyes.

Life sparkled in her gray-brown eyes, swirling in their depths and filling in the holes where her soul seemed to be lost before. It filled her entire face, made her skin seem shades lighter and her cheeks a rosy color. Tears still sparkled at the edges of her eyes and continued to wet her lashes, tear tracks evident on her cheeks.

She sniffed and brought one of the sleeves of the sweatshirt up and wiped her nose, then blinked at us and stepped into the room. The grace she once had was back in her gait, her head held high as she walked to the no longer wet and empty seat next to Ayame and sat. She placed the cat bag on her left side so it leaned up against her, then reached out and grabbed the spoon in the bole of spaghetti, dishing it out in a large chunk to herself. She then scooped a good amount of red sauce and poured it onto her pasta, cut it up with her fork and started to eat.

I cast a quick look around the table and found everyone else staring at her like she had grown another head. Haru's black eyes caught mine for a second, the same question floating around the back of his head and in the back of mine.

Kagura slurped up a piece of pasta and wiped her chin, blinking up at us again. She cast her own questioning look around, slowly placing her napkin back in it's spot.  
"What?" she said quickly, one eyebrow raising. It looked as if everyone but myself, Shigure, Haru, and Yuki flinched. No one said anything for a few heart beats, until I found my courage that had fallen into my stomach and yanked it back up again.

"Kagura..." My voice sounded weak, but the moment her eyes locked onto mine I knew. There was no need to be afraid, but I still felt obligated to ask for those who didn't know. "Are you alright?"

The entire room seemed to stop breathing, and Kagura eyes sparkled with a type of mirth that only she knew of and was not willing to share. She took her eyes away from me for a moment and cast them around the table, and I watched that utter happiness in her eyes slowly die away. She dropped both hands into her lap and her eyes came back to me in a heart beat, questions flaring and washing through her cloudy brown eyes. She turned to her food then, head dropping and concealing her face form everyone with a curtain of dark brown hair.

"Tohru..." If felt like forever since she last said my name, since I last heard her talk. She didn't pick her head up, but she didn't need to for me to know that tears were pooling in her eyes again.

"Tohru..." She repeated, hands suddenly clutching the cat bag again. "...Tohru? Do you remember? The last time that I was here...you remember that?"

My heart reached out for her in so many ways, and I was almost compelled to go over to her and wrap he in a loving embrace.. Kagura was the closest thing I would ever get to a sister in the Sohma family and it hurt me to know what she was going through - but I knew I could do nothing for her. I wasn't the one she needed comfort from...

"Yes, Kagura. I remember..." My voice was soft and almost overbearing in the tomb like quiet of the room. Momiji had even flinched when I spoke, eyes wide as saucers.

"I remember..." She said, sighing. "That after dinner we went outside and set off fireworks. You remember that?" Her voice was fridge and almost touchable, heavy in it's undertow. My heart beat frantically in my chest...

"Yes..." I said quietly, afraid that I might break something if I spoke too loud. I knew exactly what Kagura was talking about; I remember it like yesterday. Shigure had gotten hold of a few boxes of fireworks somehow, and Yuki and Kyo and set them off in Kyo's field when we –Kagura and I- sat on the roof and watched them scurry and bicker about what they would light off next. A few minutes later, Shigure relived them of their post and him and Hatori set of the rest of the fire works as the two boy's sat on the roof with us -both out of breath with smiles on their faces.

I always remember that day with a smile.. It happened about a month before Kyo died...That memory doesn't hurt anymore.

Slowly, Kagura lifted her head and looked back at me, tears leaking out of her eyes in constant streams. She let them fall and I knew she wouldn't wipe them away until she was finished. I remember her once saying something like 'Why wipe them away when you know you're not finish crying yet?', or something like that.

She smiled though, the small rivers rippling over her cheeks and falling onto her lap. Kagura had become strong again...

"That had to be a really good last memory...don't cha thing?"

No one moved or said anything, everyone just listing to their own respective heartbeats. Cold crept up my back and wrapped me in violet cold, and I just watched a smile spill across Kagura's face. It looked as if tears were sprinkling from the ceiling above her, smile shiny stars falling around something that just found it's life again. And slowly he dropped from the ceiling, standing firmly on the ground with a question looked on his face. Kyo never looked more alive.

I gave a quick look to Shigure and Yuki, both of whom had matching smiles on their faces. Haru was truly grinning, his eyes aglitter with the fire they always hid. Hatori was smirking to himself, and Ritsu had a pleasant little smile on his face. Four of them still had question and worry flooding their eyes, pain and something deeper -loss- etching their faces.

That's when I knew Kagura knew about Kyo, and I felt myself smile. The Cat just grinned back at us, the scrapes and scratches almost entirely evaporating off of his face with the grin. There was a warm glow of happiness that danced through his eyes, and I would give anything for that happiness to stay there forever.

There was 6. Kagura was number six on the list of the Jyuunishi that could see him, so we were halfway there.

_"Dear Tohru..."_ Set's voice from that night so long ago rang in my head, reminding me of things I needed to remember._ "...Pain will still be there for some of them. You can't do anything for it. You are not the ones that decide whether Kyo gets his body back or not - he doesn't even decide. The ones who don't believe will be the one who decide...all you can do is be there for those who know, and for him."_

I had almost total forgotten what he said. That thought sobered any happy though I had, any happy thought I could have.

_"Just remember..."_ he said, black eyes echoing sadness that I haven't- and couldn't touch. _"...there are others hurting worse then they are. Kyo is one of them..."_

And that was my own little curse. To know and not to tell...

I don't want to imagine what this is like for him...

And I didn't want to think about what it's like for everyone else.

The Sohmas truly are cursed.

God help them.

**_Unknown_**

"And so...we add another one..." My voice carried to him across the field that the house sat in, and even though he didn't move I knew he heard me. I would have been scared if he didn't...

I pushed myself on my white wings toward him where he sat on the top of the house, legs crossed at the ankles and arms behind his head. His endless eyes were pointed at the sky - never wavering - totally silent as the night above him. I ran a hand through my lime green-dusty gray hair and shook the short strands, sitting casually next to him - no hesitation, no regrets. I pushed a thick fingered hand through his long orange hair and shook it, a grin on my face.

"Don't look so down..." I mumbled, draping my arm across my bent knee. I heard him sigh and sit up next to me, eyes still cast to the sky.

"I'm not looking down, I'm looking forward..." He said simply, head slowly turning toward me. I met his eyes without fear and saw my own sky blue eyes reflected in them, along with my pointy nose.

"...It's the same thing." He continued, a slow grin crinkling the edges of his eyes. I never understood why they were still afraid of him...

"Why are you down here, Kazuo?" The question was sudden and sharp, and any humor that had been on his face disappeared instantly. I watched something move behind his endless black eyes. I blinked at him and cocked my head, smiling.

"I just think you shouldn't spend New Year's alone..." I said truthfully. He just stared at me for a long moment, face blank and eyes suddenly dead. He was always good at hiding things from me, but I've been getting better. Atsuo's no problem to read anymore, though Kyosetsu's not comparable to him in that matter. The only other person I can't read like I can't read Kyosetsu is Hitoko...

"What makes this year different?" Ah...he didn't trust me. His voice was low and ominous, and knowing him he suspected me of something. I always did make him think twice...

"Well it's the first time you're out in about 20 years...and it's the first time anyone's ever gotten this far before...those good enough reasons?" He backed off immediately, eyes dashing to the sky. I let it go and sighed, putting my wings away with a thought and laying back against the roof of the house. The night smelled like clean darkness and food, of happiness and tears. I always loved the night...

"I saw Hitoko today." It was mumbled, but it made me crack an eye open and look at him. His legs were loosely crossed, and his shirt wavered in the wind. The wind pushed his hair back and away from his face, and for a moment I saw the person I knew centuries ago - one of my better friends and...well, someone more human.

"Did he say anything?" I asked, pushing into the conversation I knew he wanted to start. He wanted to know what was going on upstairs - I can understand that- but I didn't want him to get mad at me...

"He asked me to come up for dinner.."

I blinked. "No, he didn't."

"Yeah, he did." The Cat slipped backwards and lay beside me, like we did when we were kids. I felt the top of his head brush mine, his elbow brushing my shoulder. "I - of course - shot him down instantly."

"Like always."

"Screw you."

"So...that can't be it, right? He's gotta be under you skin if you mention him..." I furrowed my eyebrows, and he laughed slightly. If we just sat like this - staring at the sky- I could pretend it was before everything happened and that we were just two friends laying outside, staring up at the sky and talking guy-talk. He was quiet for a minuet, and I turned to look at him slightly. His eyes were closed and his breathing was study - though I know Kyosetsu well enough to know he's not asleep, that he doesn't sleep...

"Well?" I pushed, and he sighed.

"Kazuo...do you remember the fireworks that one night before New Year's? The one's Atsuo and Sheishoin made?" His voice was distant, locked in a memory of childhood. A smile was laced lightly on his face, eyes still closed so he could view what once was. I smiled too...

"When the two of us, Yukari, and Simai were sitting out back. Yea, I remember it...why?" I felt the corner of my eyes sting and I sighed, knowing fully well the he knew I was a few steps from crying. Cats do have good noses...

"No reason." He shook his head, letting it loll back and forth on the roof's shingles. There was so much warmth in his voice that I wondered for a minuet if we were back home...

"You always have a reason." I heard the snicker in my voice, and he chuckled. But it wasn't a 'ha ha, funny' chuckle, it was a bitter one.

"Hitoko sent you down here, didn't he?" He role his head toward me and locked me in endless black. My hair reflected bright green in his eyes, and I found myself unable to lie to him.

"Yes."

"To scorn me?"

"...yes."

"Geez..." He sat up in a fluid movement, the grace of a cat with years of practice. He had a spiteful smile on his face, and his eyes were empty and hopeless.

"And I wanted to come. I am still your friend Setsu. Maybe I'm nothing like what Yukari was to you but-" His hand shot out to stop me, and I effetely quitted. His eyes seemed to move on their own as he studied my face - my eyes. I let him look for the truth in that statement, that I wasn't mocking him, that he didn't have a reason to flat out attack me. He looked for fear - which I didn't have- and resentment - which I didn't crave to bother with.

"_No one_..." He said lowly, dropping his hand but leaving his eyes trained on mine - eyes and posture defeated. "...will ever be who Yukari was. You don't have to try to be him to make me happy, Kazuo. I don't want that. Just be who you are - who you were - and I could care less...."

I smiled at him, letting it capture my eyes so they twinkled like stars in his eyes. So this redemption thing was working after all...

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear..." My smiles was laced in my voice, and he snorted.

"You're such a ass."

"Like you should say anything."

"Nice hair, by the way."

"Nice eyes, by the way."

"Pig."

"Cat."

He smiled, and I couldn't have asked for anything more then this.

**(Chapter End)**

Ranting: Well lady's and gents (If there are any guy's reading this...), I'm back with the second half of SH, and frankly I think I opened with quite a bang. There's a lot of stuff that happened, but I'll let you guy's mention it and input the new info.

School's now over - except for like a hour on Friday - and I can't be any happier. Oh and by the way, I am the new Assistant Technical Advisor at school (That I'll look good on my collage résumé) so that means that I'll probably have more work to do over the year. So I'll try as hard as I can to get this stuff out as quickly as I can. Unfortunately I just picked up reading a new series by Laurell K. Hamilton, and I'm getting some pretty good idea's...Grin's She's influencing my writing already. So be prepared for something new of mine to come out soon...something ere, sometimes violent, very supernatural , and very sarcastic. Such as the preview...I'll talk more about this further down.

And so...the plot thickens, in more then one way. I'm not going to say anything at all any more about that will happen, no hints - for my plot is finished and complete. I know where this is all going, and I love it. Btw, welcome the new OC's with open arms. Welcome magic, and welcome angels, and hold on for the ride!

So...let me have you comments!! Fire away!

PS: Sorry. My language is becoming more violent. It's the books! The books!! Anyway, it says PG-13, so you shouldn't be surprised. There aren't half as many curses in here that I normally say in a day. Be thankful I haven't had Kyo or Haru pull a New Yorker and curse anyone asses out yet.

Question of the Chapter: How many licks to the center of a tootsie pop?

Favorite Line: God this is a hard one...um..."Oh, that's right, I had forgotten. God doesn't like me..." and "I was dealing with some major next level nightmare shit." - both from Kyo. Though I'm sorry to say, I'm infusing Kyo with my sarcastic-ness.

Favorite Character: Kyo, Shigure, and Setsu.

Date Finished: June 20th, 2004. 9:30 p.m.

Date Edited: June 28th, 2004. 10: 01 p.m. (I pity all who read this before I had Misaki-Chan Beta this for me. I'm sorry to you if you did...)

Moving along...

Misaki-San: Glad you like him. And know you right, he's not a Yuki, but he is someone else...ah, I said I wasn't going to explain. So you'll find out later. Thank you, and have fun editing this chapter!!

HelloKat: And it keeps on getting thicker...and Hitoko wont help at all. He wont meant to not help but...you get the point, right? School's over so I can devote a whole week to just working on SH. You'll have to wait a wile longer for all of this to come together...see ya next time.

Adria: Thank you, and I'm glad I didn't scare you that bad. Thank you for the complement, and thank you for the luck.

HanaTenshiHimeko: Lol thank you. But thank God school is over... Sigh's TGFsummer...Upidating ASAP, I promises.

yamatoforever: Your the only person who really though and said something about how Akito will feel-, and about what Shigure's getting into....So are you worried about what she did now...again i must say that I never did really write what she was doing before she came to dinner...did I? Laugh's wickedly!! ok, sorry. So you like the other Jyuunishi too...good. They will be back...

Someone psychotic...: Lol I'm sorry everything's so long, but most people love long chapters. Thank you for the complements, and come back and review again!!

**Note**: I yanked the Bonus to this chapter because the author of the books I based the Bonus on didn't want anything based on her writings on the site. I respect her as an author, so I yanked it. Sorry.

By the way, I don't own FruBa. This plot and original characters are mine, but not Fruba itself. Any twisted, enhanced psychotic tendency, morbid reactions, deep and well deserved brooding and/or beating ones self up that happen to appear in the story are mine and I stake full claims with some help and idea's. Please review, and any flame will be laughed if not ignored. So please, have a nice day!

Mail me if you want to talk. Ja!

SAL-Chan


	13. Mini Chapter Two: Yuki

Strange Happening's

By SAL-Chan

Part Thirteen: Mini Chapter 2 - Yuki

**_"There is no black or white. Only shades of gray..."_**

**_Yuki_**

I settled down on the part of the deck that sat facing the field out back, letting my legs fall over the side. There was a blue spiral notebook laying limply on my lap, tea stains flowering on the top right corner. I stared down at the paper - my own neat handwriting lined up across the little lines, each letter the same as the last one before it. I knew that all the information I had gathered from the student council was written down in that repeating script through the entire notebook.

And somehow, that made me feel _very _pathetic.

I sighed and flipped backwards through the pages, looking at the dates on the top of each. They year ran backwards until I reached the 14 of October last year. I flipped forward a few pages, then back to that same page. The letters were written with more pressure in some parts, while in others the pencil lines were so light that they couldn't be read. Flipping forward through the year again, I noticed that lately the same script has desecrated my student council book.

I was troubled; and lately I've caught myself not listening to anything the younger grade representatives have been saying. It's all that damn Cat's fault.

I slipped the book shut and looked out into the yard, which was still naked from the last snow fall. Spring lurked in the air, just waiting for the time to unfold on the world and bathe it in green glory. Winter air was still crisp - fresh and cold in my lungs. Frost will still wrap around everything in the morning's, but it would be thawed fully by the time nine o'clock rolled around. The only reason I noticed these things was because I was lost in thought, but I couldn't help my mind from wandering. Once again, that's the Cat's fault.

I'm questioning my own mortality now. I often wonder that if I were to die right then, what would happen? Would I come back and haunt my family, would I go to wherever one goes when death has called them, or would I just cease to exist? Dow does it truly feel to die? How will I die: gallantly and nobly, or will my life be taken in a instant like his was? I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about these things, and truthfully…it scares me to death.

I could die in a instant. In fact, I believe I almost did. If I had been standing wrong or holding something else when that car hit me, I would be dead. No if's, and's, or but's about it, I would have died. It's because of pure luck that I'm sitting here now...

So I don't waste time on thinking to hard about things anymore. I realized that I overanalyze and over exaggerate everything in my head. Once again, I believe I must blame that on the stupid Cat...

The cold wind played with my hair and pulled it toward the field, the golden grass stretching toward the horizon of bare brown trees. The sky stretched colors across itself, pale colors before night even starts to fall - as if the blue of the sky was lifting off the earth altogether. I saw more then felt a smile fall across my face - as if I had detached myself from my body and was floating above it, looking out with different eyes.

That's what my entire life felt like now, like I was detached from everything and looking at everything with different eyes. Kyo's visit opened a part of me that had never seen the light of day beforehand, and it gave me more courage then I had ever had before. That's the reason I actually did what I had planed to do for years now.

Two days ago, right before lunch break was over, I asked Honda Tohru - our resident maid and the glue that holds the Jyuunishi together - to go to prom with me.

I wasn't sure who had been more surprised at the action - myself, Tohru, or Kyo- but I had done it, and I wasn't going to take it back. There had been a moment of total quiet as shock and surprise exploded behind both of their eyes, and then Tohru smiled and politely said 'I would love to.'

I had said alright, and we went our own ways - Kyo following me, still ogling at my courage. I had turned the corner and my steps had started to rush each other. I all but burst into the empty boy's bathroom and threw myself toward one of the toilets, and proceeded to empty the remnants of my lunch into it. My body had started to shake as I leaned my forehead on the cold marble and concentrated on just breathing. I felt as though the tips of my fingers had become numb, and the numbness was prickling up the nerves in my arms. I felt like a pit had opened out in the middle of my chest and sucked my heart and my stomach into it. Realization smacked me in the back of the head and I groaned, pulling myself onto my feet.

I then turned around and found myself in a instant eye lock between my cousin - whose eyes were crimson red, but shaded black toward the pupil. Dead eyes. Eyes that held such covered emotions that I could only blindly guess what they were.

I had clutched the door jam of the stall I had thrown myself into and just stared back at him, apprehensive. There was nothing I could read in his eyes, nothing that would have clued me in on what was racing around his mind. Calmly I let my barriers down and let my nervousness and that bottomless feeling envelop me whole. I let myself look like someone who asked the girl they loved to the prom, then upon receiving an answer of 'yes' had remained calm until they physically threw themselves to a toilet and upchucked their entire lunch, shaking life a leaf on a windy day…all because their nerves were shot to hell.

I let myself be human. And still he stared at me with the piercing crimson gaze and let nothing show. Then - ever so very slowly - he dropped his head and extended a hand out to me, his body becoming solid with effort. I looked at him like he had grown another head.

Slowly he lifted his head and locked eyes with me again, looking up to compensate for the years he spent dead. I saw pain, loss, and pride swell in his eyes, and a thin smile lacing itself on his cut face. It was that instant that I knew what Kyo thought of me - and that if I was going down in a flaming wreck, he wouldn't grab the last parachute and bail on me.

I let a thin smile form on my face as I extended my hand out as well - unable to touch him. Instead he wrapped his cold hand around mine, and we shook. It was the first time I ever felt like we were equals, both in mind and in sprit.

"I'm surprised you had it in ya, ya damn Rat," he said, his grin widening. The handshake, I could tell by reading between the lines, was congratulatory, and if his congratulations for winning was really true, it also meant that he was throwing in the towel for the running for our Angel's heart. Unacceptable - I snickered.

"A hell of a lot better than what you would have done," I was hooking him, and I saw the glint in his eyes that meant he caught it. The prickling coldness relished my hand in a wave of cold. A wicked glint grew in leaps and bounds by every millisecond, and that glint captured his entire face.

"A challenge?" His voice was rough, but it was Kyo's - that damn Cat.

"What challenge?" I asked, looking down my nose at him - like I once did. After that I had straightened myself in the mirror and simply walked back to class. No regrets...

There's been a weary awkwardness that has been following me around since then. I can't seem to meet either of their eyes, or Shigure's for that matter. I mean, that awkwardness was here before but since New Year's it has grown by leaps and bounds. And for some reason I can't find the solution to it, find a way to make it stop...

I sighed and dropped the council notebook next to me and leaned back, letting the muscles in my back relax against the cold wooden floor. I flung an royal blue sleeved arm over my eyes, worry churning my stomach.

Were we all really avoiding each other? No; we all need breathing room. Too much has happened to quickly, and we're drowning. Shigure's smile is fading, worry lines are etching themselves in Tohru's forehead and around her eyes, Kyo's being unexplainably quiet, and I'm growing a ulcer.

The last year of high school is suppose be special. Tokyo University already accepted me, the prom plans are going smoothly, classes are slowly winding down - so what in the world is bothering me so?

Kyo: okay, beside that. Actually _going_ to collage: okay, but that's not the main reason. Family: okay...yea, that's it. That's needs to be it...

But...

I blinked and sat up again, letting my arm drop to my side, eyes wide. It wasn't just the entire family, it was one person. That's why ever since New Year's I've been jumpy and stressed.

Akito, I'm worried about Akito. God's punishment for not attending the banquet hasn't come yet - in fact no word from Akito at all has come. That's probably the reason everyone else is pussyfooting around the compound and escaping to Shigure's house whenever they can. Kagura's been here four times this week alone, and Hatori comes over with Haru every other night for dinner.

Shigure. It's Shigure's fault. His little war with Akito is freaking us all out. Damn it, I should have picked up on it before.

But what can I do? Make peace with him willingly? Yeah, like that's ever going to happen.

God, I can't believe I just realized this. Akito's been uncharacteristically nice in his own twisted way for a long time now. We haven't been scolded for not coming to the banquet, I've been allowed safe passage to Tokyo U without a problem. Ever since Kyo showed up...

I blinked again and rubbed my temples. Does Akito know about Kyo? Yes, most likely. He probably would have been the first person to accept the fact that the Cat's dead, but would Akito cry for "the monster" - as he put it? No. He would willingly die first...

"What the hell are you doin' sittin' outside?! It's freezing!" Kyo's voice reached me before he did. He slid out of the wall with great ease and took a breath of cold air, exhaling in a cloud of smoke. I stared at his cloudy breath for a minute and acknowledged it as another step for coming back to life, then let my eyes slide back over to the sky line. Color was in the process of being stolen by black from the sky, pinpricks of light just barely visible in the darkening sky.

"How would you know?" I couldn't stop myself. I wanted to hit my head against something for saying it, but I didn't let that feeling show. I let the cold around me sink into my body. I felt his gaze on me, but I didn't turn to look; I couldn't meet his eyes. See, detached...

Quiet wrapped around the porch, and I saw him move to sit on the other side of the notebook, letting his legs hang off the end of the deck. He didn't say anything back, just staring out in to the darkening sky. I sighed quietly and gathered my courage to say something.

"I was murdered..." I turned quickly to him, never in my life expecting to hear something like that come from him. I blinked at him, not believing my ears.

"What?"

"I was murdered." He was quiet, eyes dropping for the sky to his knees. "Someone was hired to kill me..."

Shock wasn't the word for what I was feeling, but it was the closest thing I could have to describing what captured my brain - my being. There was a moment of totally foggy miscomprehension, then clarity broke through with a strange clear calm. Someone had killed Kyo...

"Who?" I wanted to know. For some reason, I had the worst sinking feeling in my chest. I heard him sigh.

"Akito." And everything fell into place. The reason we were being left alone, why we were allowed to do what we wanted. Akito knew that this - or something like this- would happen. He wanted to see what we would do, how we would react.

"Who else knows?" Autopilot. My thoughts had become still, my breathing calm and quiet. I don't think I could have hated Akito any more than I did at that moment.

"Tohru, Shigure...I think Hatori has an idea to...I'm just waiting now." That made me look at him. Okay, so I wasn't the first. I could handle feeling like a idiot for not thinking Akito has something to do with it in the first place. But I hated having to be told.

"Waiting for what?" I watched him grin slightly, the cut on his cheek stitched together and healed well enough so the skin didn't move. Dark violet clouded his bright red eyes with veins of color.

"Revenge." The one word was breathed with so much hate and determination that I knew it was true. Kyo would have his revenge, even if it wasn't by his hands. Strangely, I felt the slightest twitch of a grin grow on my face.

"How long have you been planning this?" That's right, let everything develop into a joke. That way you won't go insane. It was the way Kyo had been living as a ghost - through sarcasm and laughter. Anything less and one would snap - I know from experience. Kyo's grin widened.

"For as long as I've been dead." I dropped it there. I didn't want to know what he would do, but I had a few ideas. Knowing Kyo, it would be something that would hurt Akito so deeply...but I couldn't put my finger on what. I didn't have a year to plan it the way he would do it, but I had my own ideas of torture. My favorite would be locking him up in that damn box and just leaving him there...

I shut my mind off. I stopped it all together and let the night take me over. I let the quiet surround me, and I let the hatred seep out of my into the night. It wasn't worth thinking about if I knew I wouldn't do it. On the other hand, I knew Kyo would do whatever he had planned in a instant if he could. I would help him if I could - God help me I would - but for some reason I couldn't see myself doing it alone.

I didn't owe Akito my life anymore. He took one of ours, so I could have mine now.

"Hey Rat..." His voice made me jump. I looked at the ghost of my former-...my cousin and blinked. He grinned at my surprise, shifting his position so that his legs were tucked to his chest and he could loosely wrap his arms around them. I glared at him and leaned against a wood pillar that was near me.

"What?" I snapped at him, eyes sharp. Slowly that humor that glinted in his eyes dissipated, and they were left a dull crimson color- empty and open. I felt the hate drain away from my face and just looked at him calmly.

He then asked me something that I would have never expected **him** to say to **me** in a million years.

"Can I ask you for a favor?"

**(Chapter End)**

Ranting: Look how quickly I did that! Okay, okay...it's short, but that's how little a mini chapter should be. I had a day off, so I wrote. I finished this in two days. This and two books. Go me...

Life goes on with the Sohma's, how ever twisted it's becoming. And I guess you're all going to wait for baited breath until the prom, aren't you? Don't worry, you don't have that long...

There are 9 chapters left, plus the epilogue. Were slowly getting closer to the end, aren't we? _Cackles evilly _

So...let me have you comments!! Fire away!!

P.S.: Start looking for the new fic that I'm going to put out called The Collector. The preview story for the last chapter was a part of it...it should be a good AU -

Question of the Chapter: Has anyone read any of Laurell K. Hamilton's stuff?

Favorite Line: I let myself look likes someone who asked the girl they loved to the prom - then upon receiving an answer of 'yes' had remained calm until they physically threw themselves into a toilet and upchucked their entire lunch, shaking life a leaf on a windy day all because their nerves were shot to hell.

Favorite Character: Stupid question...I like the interaction b/t Kyo and Yuki though.

Date Finished: July 4th, 2004. 9: 44 p.m.

Date Edited: July 12th, 3004. 1: 22 p.m.

Moving along...

Ana Denali/Adria: Your very welcome, and it was my pleasure. Sorry, typo's were fixed of after you reviewed. My fault on that...Glad you lined the preview, and I hope you read that (once it's up) as well as the rest of SH. LOL! I'm a tease! _Giggles_

HelloKat: Yep yep! Plot's nice and confusing. Scrambles you brain _just_ a little bit. Yep yep -other Jyuunishi. Yep yep they were best friends. What happened between them...that's a little complicated. But remember the story of the jyuunishi and how the rat tricked the cat...we just don't know the reason for why he was tricked - I'm saying to much. Bad SAL-Chan...Anyway, hope you liked this chapter and that you come back for the rest!

V-chan: Lol! That's what I think the Sohma family would be like in a kitchen together; warm, friendly, and chaotic. _Jumps around happily_ I got a cookie!! YAY, lol. Glad you like the ancestors, for they are important. Gush! Please gush! It's everyone input that motivates me to write. Glad you like those moments, and I hope you liked this chapter too.

HanaTenshiHimeko: You like the scary lady? She was meant to be weird. I don't know...will he come back!? that's what we need to find out, right? The main goal? Well, we will see...

yamatoforever: There was a reason for Kyo's scratched to heal so fast. Remember the energy Tohru saw around Kagura. Yeah, you know it's a bad thing when Tohru is scared of you, and Kyo would be destroyed if he knew she was scared of him. If anything he needs her more then anyone else. And there's always more about the past Jyuunishi, and I'm pretty sure they're show up in the next chapter. _Sweat drops _Yama-Chan...that_ was _Kyo.

Sorry, nothing to snack on this time. Oh yeah, remember that story tidbit that was at the end of the last chapter - it's gone. The another of the series that the story derived from didn't want anyone writing fiction about her series, so I hade to take it down. But I'm thinking of modifying the plot, and then we'll see where it goes.

By the way, I don't own FruBa. This plot and original characters are mine, but not Fruba itself. Any twisted, enhanced psychotic tendency, morbid reactions, deep and well deserved brooding and/or beating ones self up that happen to appear in the story are mine and I stake full claims with some help and idea's. Please review, and any flame will be laughed if not ignored.

Ja!

SAL-Chan


	14. A Conversation with Kyo

There is a feeling I always get in my chest, like there is a black hole sucking my heart into it. It's never ending, and it drags me down and makes me shake. Cold eats up the side of my face and numbs my fingertips. Fear eats me alive, and I can't think or move or breathe...

Before, the mere thought of being locked up in that damned cage for the rest of my God-forsaken life gave me that feeling. Then, slowly, that feeling expanded to falling head over heals for a cretin angel that I had the pleasure of living with for a few years until I died. That feeling changed into eating my heart when I thought I might loose her.

I was never afraid of dying. Maybe I was afraid of being shut away forever, but not dying. Death is absolute. Death is final and perfect. Death doesn't discriminate color, or race, or personality. Death would accept me for whom I was and for whatever lay inside me. Or at least...I thought it did.

I have died. To put it figuratively, I have walked up to those gates and knocked - rang the bell, all that jazz.

No one answered...well, no one that I wanted to answer.

Dammit, I was ready. I was ready and willing to be taken to...wherever, and that was yanked away too. I know whoever up there doesn't like me. They wouldn't send me back if they like me, but here I am - actually tied to this house, to these people.

In some way's it's not that bad, but in others it's torture. I can't feel, I can't train, I cant hurt.... scratch that last one. I can get hurt - and it was refreshing. In a bad way.

Being stuck alone for a year bottled up my fighting sprit that continued to grow without my knowledge. All my thoughts for that short amount of time was regretful ones, one's full of pain, one's that opened that black hole in my chest and took my heart.

And looking toward the sunrise as it bounced off my overgrown morning-dew covered field, watching the sunlight bounce off the water droplets and lighting the forest around field, the cold comes back to me. Watching the Angel sitting on that stupid destroyed rock - the light bouncing off her face and catching on the amber parts of her hair - makes me wonder if she would be sitting there so early in the morning alone if I hadn't died.

I'm scarred by regret, I know that now. It will always lace it's way through my heart and mind, it will be a long and deep mark that sits in my eyes forever, and it will sit in the middle of my soul for the rest of my existence.

That is - of course - if I don't make this second chance work. I'm sure of what would happen if I don't make it, but if the other happens...

I may have been ready to die, but I don't think I'm ready to live...

Strange Happening's

By SAL-Chan

Part Fourteen: A Conversation with Kyo

**_"Liar's smiles are always more sincere..."_**

**_Tohru_**

I have been too nervous to sleep lately. I'm waking hours before I normally do, before the sun even rises. There's a harshness that sits around my eyes, and I can finally see what theses past two years have done to me. It's not very noticeable on the outside, but...somehow, I'm different. I'm a secret keeper to a family that need's me so much more then they need each other.

The dew on the long grass sparkles with the first rays of the sun. It twinkles over the tall grass and sways with it in the wind. The sun's rays stretch with pinks and yellows over the horizon, fighting the night back to it's daily resting place. The star's still mark the sky like little pinholes in the paper doors, and it will for an hour or two before they fade altogether. The morning air is warmer then it has been in days, a sign that spring is coming.

Weariness had captivated my body this morning, making the warmth in the air very comfortable to sit in for hours. I hadn't moved in a wile, and I was not looking forward to the small walk back to the house. I shifted on top of the dented rock, folding my legs over each other again. My light pajama pants protected me for the last lick of cold the air held, and the loose fitting tank top that I wore let my arms feel the warm wings of spring. My hair floated around me with the wind - caressing my face with a warm and loving hand.

I like to think that Mother is the wind. That she can sometimes break free of the boundaries between the afterlife and the living world and just touch me for a second. That she still plays with my hair, and that she's still as warm as before. I feel a smile creep onto my face as the win whips across my lips again and moves my hair away from my eyes.

_Wishful thinking..._

I sighed and scanned the tree-covered horizon again, looking at all the small details that the morning ray's highlight. I was a moment away from getting up when a cold feeling numbed my fingertips and pushed though my chest. I tasted grapes in my mouth and remember the color purple. The cold was coming from behind me, and I knew in an instant that I wasn't the only one awake.

"What are ya doing up so early?" Kyo's voice is softer then normal. Somehow I felt him move toward me, my gaze still glued to the sunrise. Quiet echoes within the confines of his private training area, almost suffocating me. Inside of me I felt the morning take it's first breath, and the Earth slowly coming alive with the sun's golden rays. Shadows were shrinking back to rest for the day - I could almost see them falling away from the trees and the ground.

It felt like I was connected to the Earth, to the morning.

I let that feeling fill me; I let it capture me along with the rest of the earth. It felt like new life was breathing into me, new strength and will. The feeling of Mother's hands fell across my face again, and I smiled to the sky.

"Watching the sunrise." I finally answered him, catching sight of his eyes instantly. Slowly his hair come into focus, then the rest of him. I could almost see him glowing in the wake of the morning light, almost watch the shadows fall across his face.

For some reason, everything was slower then normal. My brain was covered in a velvet-like warmth that makes every detail of every single thing stand out. That feeling was slowly slipping away, letting me catch up with time.

"Do you have any idea of what time it is?" His voice was clearer then before. His arms were crossed over his chest, eyebrows furrowed in a worried manner. The tone of his voice doesn't give his worry away, but with the newfound feeling that sat in my head I can see it in his eyes. I blinked at him, and shake my head negative.

"I couldn't sleep." I said simply, my own voice sounding tired. He raised one orange eyebrow at me, and then shook his head.

"That's why you're out here? Just cause ya' couldn't sleep?" There's something else in his voice - in his eyes - that tells me that there might be something going on. I can read him like one of my old favorite books right now. I suddenly realize that something isn't right with me - that I couldn't normally read him this well, or see the world wake up. I was compelled to tell him that, but something stopped me. Something in the back of my mind told me 'Not yet, don't tell.'

"The view's nice." I said instead, and smile - feeling bad about keeping something from him. "I couldn't fall asleep again, so I came to see the sunrise."

I turned back to horizon, letting my eyes drink in the sight of morning. The velvet feeling that eclipsed my mind lingers lightly - I can carefully feel it in the back of my head. I don't know what it is, but it feels right. It's a soothing buzz of...something.

I felt his eyes studying my face, but I kept my head turned toward the horizon. Something, that small little voice, tells me not to let him see my eyes when I feel this. That it's not for him to know yet. It scared me deep down inside, but I agree.

Mother's hands caress my face again as morning continued to stretch over the Earth. Then suddenly, the air around me turned cold.

**_Sohma Kazuo_**

I was dreaming of the past. Dreaming of a time further back then time records correctly, of a time when I was just a child. I was one of the strongest people in the Clan, even at the age of 16. I was taller then half of the company I carried myself with but not too out of the ordinary - unlike some other people. I was the youngest of all of us by a few months, but it was enough to give me my place.

I was dreaming of when we got our gifts.

_My shoulders seared with the newly place brand on each of them. My pale skin was on fire, the red-hot burns deeply imbedded into the skin - to the muscles of my shoulders. And with the pain of the branding, a new feeling flooded me. It washed my insides with a numbness that comes with having too much power, with too much of yourself inside your skin. There was a tightness around my heart and a loose feeling in my head. _

_My heart was beating rapidly like a caged bird, and I couldn't catch my breath. I slowly moved my hand away from my side - despite the fact that the new burns on my shoulders protested movement - and found my pale skin glowing with an unearthly aura. I was radiating pristine white power, and it fluttered around me like dust particles normally do. _

_Across from me stood Atsuo, his pail skin glowing with the same unearthly whiteness. His long copper colored hair seemed to shine as it floated around him, creating a cape of long golden strands. The only difference I saw in Atsuo was that his eyes were no longer their original brown, but pure and untouched white. Small black slits sat in the middle of the whiteness that was his eye, and it was the only definition on where he was looking. There was a look of wonder on his face as he stared across our circle looking at me. Then in a fluid and graceful movement he smiled, and it was then that I noticed his teeth. Two long fangs sat where his canines were, and I instantly knew who he now was._

_This was what we looked like after being touched by the hands of God. This graceful and fulfilled feeling that sat in all our stomach's was one of the greatest feeling's I have ever will experience._

_Then someone screamed. _

_And agonizing and painfully scream - a sound that wasn't human, or animal, but pure emotion. The pure white feeling washed away instantly, and the feeling was shattered. It was replaced by heat._

_Fire broke over the dream, and I felt my body as it feels now - forever stuck looking like I'm 17. The thick black smoke is choking me, making tears cascade from my eyes as my lungs fought to find fresh air. I was running full speed through the flames, toward the screaming of the others when something slammed into me. I fell full force to the ground - face first- with it riding my back, knocking the wind out of me and blacking me out momentarily._

_The smell of death and betrayal stung my nose with such harshness that it made gage, and then something grabbed me and turned me around - slamming me into the ground again. Three fingers dug into my shoulders and my arms, and then I spotted his eyes._

_There was nothing left that resembled human in his eyes - just rage. Rage, pain, and vengeance. And staring into his dead eyes, I knew I would be the first to die. _

_The dream faded into the smoky abyss that the fire created. I felt the warmth of the flames lick at my body, warm and comforting. Then slowly I started to feel my body again, feel the question floating in my mind. _

I woke with a start from the dream, my free hand flying to my solder. Unlike the dream, the shoulder was bare - perfectly smooth. I knew without needing to check that there was a brand on the other shoulder - one that spelled out 'Boar'. I had given part of my power to my killer without regret, thus I lost one brand. I couldn't care less. No sadness, no regret.

I reclined on my back for the majority of the time I was awake after that - I never seem to be able to sleep after I dream of the past. My mind just wraps around the dream, and it takes a long time to unwind from one. So I stared up at the stars for a few hours, letting myself unwind and not think.

The feeling had awakened with the sunrise. I felt it from my perch in the sky that let me look down on the house in the morning, and it felt like it was pulling me toward the ground. It yanked at my shoulder with a painful familiarity that it made me grind my teeth in order to move away from that feeling.

There was a connection made on a higher level down on Earth, something far beyond what my understanding of the world could be. I had never in my soul's existence felt a connection this deep - and I knew it was just skimming the surface. It was pulling at the power that I was given, calling it with a soothing mother-like voice.

I was kneeling over the cloud immediately after I pulled myself from the feeling, letting my ill-cut lime colored hair drape over either side of my face. The whips of gray tickled my nose, and I swatted them away as I stood and let myself fall through the layers between our land and the real physical realm below. I slipped through the layers like gliding through a layer of water. I felt more then saw the brand on my shoulder glow as I passed through the layers. My wings fell with me, splaying out once I reached the blue-black sky.

I let Earth's wind whip my hair away from my face as I fell toward the hazy clouds, dropping all the way down till my toes brushed the tops of the trees. I was behind the pair in the field, my wings folded behind me calmly. It was still calling me. It felt like home after a long trip, a comfort many take for granted. Something that I wished for every day...

The pull of power was from the girl, or rather the bracelet that looped around the girl's wrist. I felt my power that sat in a bead on the bracelet reach out toward me. I almost answered to the call of it before another warm power wrapped around me and squeezed my reaching power back into me. I almost choked on the force of the energy that was pushed back into me, doubling over and squeezing my eyes closed.

"I can't believe you almost did that." His voice was smooth, goose-bump rising. I was remembering how to breathe when I looked over at him, and all I caught through my bleary eyes was his copper hair. Atsuo, had to be Atsuo.

"You're a bastard." I coughed at him, my wings spreading out. I noticed that there were stress lines around his eyes, and a worried frown on his pale face. His hair was tied back till about his mid back, and from there on it splayed out behind him. His wings were ruffled, his breathing rushed.

"What the hell are you thinking?" Anger blazed in his smooth voice, and with a quick movement he grabbed my arm and turned me to face him. "You don't answer to the power! Gods, how long have we told you this?"

I couldn't believe I had done it myself. I had learned long ago what happened when you answered the power, and I had been inches away from doing it myself. I would have ended up like Taki, Hoshi, and Yawari - sucked into their own respective beads on that damned bracelet. The only people who knew what would happen if they entered that bracelet were Kyosetsu, Yukari - who both didn't talk about it-, and Hisoka - who we 't talk to.

"Did you feel that?" I asked, pushing myself away from Atsuo, who was still holding onto my arm. I had never felt that pull so strongly from any other person who wore the bracelet after the Cat's death. She was opening the Gates to us even wider then they had been thousands of times before. Atsuo was six places away from me in the death order, and he was able to come down. For the longest time the Gates were open just enough for Hitoko, Taki, and I to pass through them in one peace. And so far, anyone who took Taki's place and pushed through the Gates was sucked into that bracelet - the same fate as his. To know that the Gates have opened wide enough for Atsuo to pass through without fading is scary.

"It's the only reason I'm down here." He said, voice calmer. He released my arms slowly and looked toward our descendant and his own personal angel. I turned to look as well and I found her staring toward us. He grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the trees and up toward the Gates again.

"She's the Gate Keeper." He said offhand, confirming what I already thought. If the Gate Keeper was really this Tohru Honda, then Kyosetsu's descendant will pass this test, and we will return.

'The Gate Keeper will open the Gates of the Years and release the old souls of the long dead. The Born Again will then either relive the past or forage an entirely new future. Death shall then choose its own path, for the final word of Death will create a new legend that shall be passed on through time for eternity.' It was something Hisoka said - something like a prophecy- when we all first gathered up in the Land of the Stars, the place just bellow Heaven and right above the clouds of Earth. I now truly believe it would coming true.

And looking down upon the new Sohma's house, and feeling Atsuo's steady hand wrapped around my arm, I had a feeling that it was happening. Right now...

**_Tohru_**

"What's it like....?" The question came form the back of my head, spoken toward the sunrise rather then toward him. I hadn't taken my eyes off of the sunrise since Kyo came out here, except to look over our shoulders toward the trees. I felt two _somethings_ there as well; one green and one blue _something_, _something_ cold and very old.

"What's what like?" He asked, voice growing cold and distend. There was a roughness to it that told me he did not want to talk about what I could possibly bring up.

There was a single moment of total and utter quiet that flooded his field, then the light song of a morning jay that had lived and raised a full family in the field sung out, letting her melody carry over the entire opening. I had no real idea of how I could ask him a question I knew could hurt, but I wanted to know something about what happened to him after he left that hospital room. He was the only one that didn't leave that hospital on his feet, and I knew what happened to almost everyone who did. I wanted to know what happened to him...

".... to die.... what is it like to die?" My voice was low and soft, as if I was afraid to break the golden morning hew that captivated the field. I was so scared of breaking the gentle calm that had settled between the both of us, but I found my sudden curiosity getting the better of me. He kept his mouth shut, and I knew he was both unwinding to answer and unable to answer. I wondered quickly if he would answer me, because I knew I wouldn't have.

"Cold." He answered after a few moments of quiet. "I remember being wrapped in cold..."

There was such a sadness laced in his voice when he said that, and I knew that there had to be more then cold to affect him as much as it seemed to.

"...just cold?" I pushed lightly in a quiet voice. I was slowly sinking into myself, curling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. I felt my hair fluttered in the soft morning that seamed to always sweep it's way across the field. My hair swept in front of my face, hiding the question and the need for knowledge from him. I didn't want him to know that I needed to know, that he needed to tell me to help himself.

I heard him cross his arms over his chest- a gesture he normally made when he was nervous or upset. Birds fluttered across the sky behind the house and swooped toward he horizon in front of me. The wind was warm and cold at the same time, ruffling the tops of the trees and making the dead golden grass role like the ocean. It smelled like spring, like leaves that were blooming. It was intoxicatingly beautiful, and I let myself get wrapped up in the moment - craving to know.

He let the science stretch, just thinking to myself '_Please let me know.... please open up to me again, Kyo...'_

"Please tell me..." It was quiet as a whisper, but loud enough for him to hear. I knew he don't want to think about this, but he needed to. For his own sake, he needed to understand that he couldn't keep this to himself - that I was here to help him. It was one of the things Set - the angel that met me in the winter - told me to have him do.

"Why?" He almost spat it at me, letting some of his famous pent-up frustration out with that word. The look I caught in his eyes was bitter and sad and lonely. For some reason, I knew he thought that this was his punishment for his life, that this was his burden alone. His shoulders were hunched in the effort it took to carry the load of his life, never once thinking that he could ask if I would mind helping him carry some if it with him.

I was quiet for a minute, thinking of a good reason for me to really be asking these questions. I wondered - truly wondered - what it was like to die, what it must have felt like. A slow cold washed over me that no wind could create and no blanket or extra clothing could warm. I wonder for a moment if my mother felt the cold that Kyo said he felt, if all death was cold. It hurt my heart to think that she would just drop into a black void of numbness. I didn't want to believe that - I didn't want to think that at all...

I turned to him slowly, letting my eyes be the windows to my feelings. I opened myself up to him - like I had so many years ago - and I prayed that he would do the same. I trusted in Kyo as much as I trust in Yuki, or Uo, or Hana. I trusted that he would tell me because I needed to know, and would have to say the reason. I trusted that he knew me as well as I think I know him. I trusted him not to lie to me about it just because it would make me feel better.

His eyes found mine, the deep crimson eyes going wide. The dark lilac that encircled his pupil fell behind the redness of his irises, leaving this pure soft red eyes red...just red. Just Kyo. I felt the weight of his gaze and watched the total understanding come over him in a wave of sadness. I knew he wouldn't want to break this perfect understanding between the two of us, but someone had to. I gathered my life that I didn't even realize I had lost, watching him watch the truth - the need in my eyes.

"I want...I want to know if my mother felt anythi-"

"Cold and quiet." He said quickly, cutting me off. He broke our eye contact quickly, staring toward the horizon with painfully concentrating face. His eyes were swamped with emotion so raw that it left me speechless. He had opened to me - let me see the pain. At least a little of the pain...

"It's...it's dark." He continued without a push, eyes stormy. "At first you're...you're numb to yourself. Ya can't feel anything that hurts, and ya can't think. Your mind goes...blank. But when it's happening...you can feel everything. Time just.... slows down."

His hand wondered up to his face, to the gash that scared his face. His thumb brushed it, eyes distant - lost in remembering. I turned more toward him, unable to say anything. I didn't understand what it was like - I could never understand it until the day that I died.

"Then you go numb. I could barely feel my fingers..." He brought his hand away from his face and just stared at it, like it wasn't really there. "Then you realize that you're hurt, and then you can feel.... you can feel death coming."

He broke his gaze from his hand and looked at me. He eyes were sadder then I've ever seen them, and so confused like he didn't really understand what he was saying at all. That all of this was just coming from his soul, and his mind had no time to think about it.

"The last thing I remember..." His voice was feather soft, as if he was afraid to speak to loudly. "...is lying in the emergency room with you standing over me. Then...I just kind of sank into tha' dark, and....I felt my heart stop."

His hand hovered over his heart, looking away from me again. His eyes had gone quiet with a numbness that was heart-crushing to witness. He was able to numb his soul from the pain of remembering. He could numb everything. He probably had.

I wanted to touch him, to reassure him that everything would be okay - but I couldn't. There were things I could do for Kyo, but nothing would warm the numbness of his soul. I wanted to hold him and warm him myself, but I couldn't touch him - I was never able to touch him. But I could see the pain in his eyes; I could feel the cold wafting off of him - so very faint that it almost wasn't there. I had a feeling that the cold around him was the lingering fingers of the cold he talked about, and that it could take him away at any time.

"It's still cold." He added, clenching his hand into a fist and dropping it at his side. "It's always cold. They're always a little bit of pain, and it's always cold..."

Isolated.

He sound so squared away, so alone and stuck within himself. There was a cage around Kyo that no one was able to get into, and he wasn't able to get out. In a way, Akito had gotten it his way. He was locked up forever in the dead coldness that encased his very being. I could tell that he wanted out so badly, that he wanted company that I couldn't be. He needed someone who had felt what he was feeling, who already knew what he was learning, and who could help him if he ever stumbled.

I was not that person. I couldn't be that person if I wanted to be.

And that hurt. I wanted to help him, but it wasn't my help he needed.

But...I could still help him in ways he didn't need it.

I reached for him. I reached for his relaxed hand that sat half-transparent at his side. I reached to warm the cold that surrounded him - that sounded his heart. I reached through the cold and impassable cage between him and us with all my heart. I reached for him.

For a moment, or a single solitary moment, I felt the rough calluses he had on his fingers, I felt the softness that as his palm, and I felt the warmth that he hand let off. I felt the thickness of his skin over his bones and muscles, felt his hand in mine - truly and really.

I grasped his had as tightly as I could, staring at the difference in the skin tones and sizes. It took me a moment to realize that I war really touching his hand.

I felt myself gasp at the surprise of realizing it, and I felt him tense and take a breath as well. Then the cold cam back with vengeance, ghosting through my hand to his, and my hand gripped into a tight fist. He flinched back and staggered, falling backwards and landing with a not so graceful rush of air. I was on my knees and off the rock, my hand still frozen in the place his hand was.

I felt that my eyes were wide. I couldn't believe I did that. And by the total shock that captivated Kyo crimson eyes, I knew he was as baffled as I was. You weren't allowed touch a ghost - I knew it was some type of unwritten rule. But I just touched his hand, I knew I did.

"How did..." He trailed off as I brought my hand down to my lap and examined it. I stared at it for a moment, bracelet and all - and suddenly I had an idea. I extended my hand - palm out- toward him, stretching my fingers a little apart. His eyes flashed for my hand to my face, apprehension and fear lacing through his eyes.

"...Try touching my hand." I knew I didn't have to say it for him to understand what the gesture meant. I had to reassure him that it was all right. His hand rose off the ground and he looked at it, and then looked at me again.

"But I can't-"

"Just try...please." I stretched my arm out towards him more, letting my pleading voice match my eyes. I would try anything to break through the cage of cold around him. If it didn't work.... it didn't work. But if it did...." Please Kyo...don't be afraid."

His eyes hardened almost immediately, understanding showing in his face. He clenched and unclenched his hand, then slowly reached toward mine. His hand stopped a hairs-breadth away from mine, the cold following his every movement. I felt the cold wrap around my fingers and dance on the palm of my hand. His eyes flickered to mine, and stayed there.

I pushed my palm forward a little more, and I touched something. His hand was warm against mine, and the warm feeling traveled all the way from my palm to my heart and my eyes. His fingers peeked over the top of my own, and I guess his hands have always been a little bigger then mine.

As the shock of what we were doing wore off, happiness gathered me in its arms and made my heart hum in delight. I could touch Kyo. And from the look in his eyes, I'm sure that he was feeling the same thing too.

I had reached through the bars, and he had grabbed my hand in return. The cage didn't seem so cold any more, nor did it seem so hard to pass through. Maybe everything will be fine - everything will be all right.

God, I truly hoped to believe that. Please don't make a liar out of me...

**(Chapter End)**

Ranting: In case everyone didn't notice, I took most of the summer off. I was writing and re-writing this chapter, plus another fic, plus I did a total re-hall on the ending of this story. Planning and re-planning is not a fun activity.

There's two days still school starts again. -- # School makes me a very un-happy SAL-Chan. My brain is so tired, you would not believe. I've been working on fixing this fic for about...19 hours. I need some sleep...

I had to fight wiht the indenting for an hour on , then it ate all my info and spat it out like this. Soif i ever get around to doing this chapter over, I'll fix it. Sorry!

Favorite Line (Well...it's really a paragraph...): I like to think that Mother is the wind. That she can sometimes break free of the boundaries between the afterlife and the living world and just touch me for a second. That she still plays with my hair, and that she's still as warm as before. I feel a smile creep onto my face as the win whips across my lips again and moves my hair away from my eyes.

Favorite Character: T-Chan. Go Tohru...

Date Finished: September 5th, 2004. 9: 20 p.m.

Date Edited: September 20th, 2004. 7: 29 p.m.

Moving along...

Misaki-Sama: That's quite a good question, about if there was another cat born. I believe I can tell you that no, there have been no births in the Sohma family for over two years. -. So glad you love this story, and thank you so mush for being my Beta. I would die without your help...

yamatoforever: Glad that you were happy for him. That's a good guess about what the favor was, but do not worry - you'll find out soon. The favor will be fulfilled soon enough. Hope you like this chapter and thank you so much for your review.

_Sad face... _I only have two reviews... Oh well, I guess the story is dying down. Well, I'll continue writing anyway -

Bonus!! Preview of another Story: (This is the real beginning of The Collector, un-beta-ed by Misaki-Sama. You'll understandwhy i need a beta after you read this little part. Please go read it when it comes out.... Thanx)

The Collector

**Chapter One: Welcome to my Life**

There were small spots of drying blood on my face, and thankfully none of it were mine. It's slightly odd to think of starting the day off with dots of liquid that came from inside another person's body splashed across yours, but you get a accustomed it. Either your forced to, or you snap like a dry twig. It's an easy guess at which one I picked -I'm still here.

Truthfully, I wasn't starting the day off with blood on my face; my day was just continuing. My days were about 36 hours long, with up to 6 hours of sleep - if I was lucky. After a while you get used to living of black coffee and sleeping with your eyes open. Paranoia helps one's insomnia.

Though most of the times you shouldn't meet a cliental with dried blood spots on you face. It's not very neat, or professional. But frankly, I don't really care. My boss on the other hand...he cares a bit more then me.

My job is simple really, but it makes me stand out. It's not like I really had to study to be what I am, but it does occasionally acquire spots of blood on my face - sometimes more then that.

My life has become quite complicated under my nose, and only after a near death experience has it been brought to my attention.

Currently, the client in my office was silently examining the product of my most recent near death experience. It caused my entire left shoulder to be covered in small rivets of deep cuts and a long slash down my back, as well as my left hand being cut up quite nicely. Well, he couldn't really see my back, but my arm was another story all together. I love wearing short sleeved shirts just for this one purpose.

I extended my right hand out to the so-far nameless client, knowing fully well that people tend to not want to shake mutilated parts of your body. His paper white hand had a strong grip despite the fact the he looked very frail. The palm of his hand was still smooth even against the tough and sharp calluses of mine. A light blue colored long sleeved shirt covered his arms totally, fully reaching up his arm. His face was the same pale shade of white that his hand was, so white it made his skin seem thinner then normal. He wore a pare of black jeans that weren't faded anywhere, and a pair of black shoes that I couldn't place the name of. They looked expensive and new - unused and plain.

"Hello, um..." I let my rough voice trail off, slowly letting go of his hand.

Most people who came to me where very professional, or very regular - average Joe's. Truthfully with all the new world wide laws that are being kicked into motion, me and my crew are considered cold blooded killers. We kill the bad guy's, but we still kill. We're hired by legitimate business or other professionals - even some Joe's with enough money - and kill for them. Assassins isn't the word, but it's very close to it. Were are the secretive murders, but people still come to us for kills - or hunts.

"Yosuki. Yosuki Atsuo." His voice was as soft as I had expected it to be, but it did hold the tired scratchiness of age and experience.

He pushed a long copper colored strand of hair away for his sculpted face, letting it fall to the floor. It coiled like a snake around the chair behind him and looked as if it was tangling itself. He never took off his solid black pair of sunglasses that wrapped around to covered all of his eyes. I had the feeling that he wouldn't take the glasses off now, and that he wouldn't the entire time I would see him today. His thinly stretched skin almost blended with the walls of my office.

My office was painted endless white, and the carpet was gray - the ceiling a lighter shade of the carpet. My desk had rich black color and looked more like a architects drawing table then a desk. It was tilted flat, but it gave me enough room to lay down plans of grave yards or houses or whatever. My name plate sat in the corner next to my silver architects lamp, along with a bottle of water and a cup holder of pens. Under my desk were file cabinets that almost blended to the table to make it look like a desk - but it wasn't. They work better the regular desk draws do, but it still proves that my boss is a cheep bastard. He's the only one in the company that has a real desk...

There was a mirror that wrapped around the wall that sat behind me. It started from the bottom of my hip and came up to about three feet above my head. The mirror also stretched half way across the walls on either side of me, the same length on each side. I was protected by mirrors that could help me in more ways then one. Vampire's - for future knowledge, and a refresher for anyone who didn't know- do not have a reflection. Mirrors also reflected the real images of a person if they cast glamour or any illusion. I was very thankful for my mirror...

Other then my mirror, I was lost in a cloud of gray.

"Yosuki-San, how can I help you today?" I said, sitting down in the chair behind my desk.

"Well Mr. ..." He repeated my eyebrow lift, and I grinned. I ran my left hand thought my hair and leaned back in my chair.

"Sohma Kyo. It says it on the name plate." I gestured at the gold colored plate near the lamp, but Yasuki-san just smiled. I pulled at the bottom of my gray tank top and crossed my legs at the ankles. My legs were covered by a ripped pair of blue jeans, blood spots scattered all over my knees and along the bottoms of the legs. My black Nikes had no blood on them that the eye could catch, but I knew for a fact that I had made tracks of blood in my wake when I walked into the office. My regular silver cross hung by a thin chain around my neck, a very comfortable weight against my scared chest. Killing two birds with one stone with a silver cross. Today happened to be a dress down day...in fact, every day happened to be a dress down day.

"Sohma Kyo." He said my name, testing it on his lips - smiling slightly. I didn't like that, not one freken bit. I've learned that if someone tastes you name, they know they're going to need to remember it. I glared at him.

"Yosuki-San, I'm a busy man. I do have appointments I need to check over..." I lied. Frankly I hadn't had my coffee in the past few hours - my day wasn't over quite yet, not until after tonight. And my gut was screaming at me to get the hell away from this guy as quickly as possible. I almost always agreed with my gut.

His smile fell off instantly. "I'll try not to take up to much of your valuable time, Sohma-San."

I could feel his heavy gaze through his sunglasses, and I knew he knew I was lying. A little white lie, but a lie never the less.

"I'm looking for a shape shifter for one of my own clients - I'm a privet deceive, you see. The shifter is someone from their family, a lost family member. They want me to find him. I've been told that your company happens to be one of the best tracking company's in Japan." His voice was quite monotone

"You want to track a shifter? That's all?" I blinked at him. It's rare that I'm asked to just track a shifter and not kill them. A retrieval thing was new to me. Yasuki smiled at the blunt surprise on my face, then slowly started to laugh. His laugh creped up my arm's and raised goose bumps along then, and it made the hair on the back of my neck stand at attention. His laughter curled around my stomach, and that feeling in m chest was screaming at me to leave. Old power beat around me, making my heart beat quicken.

I turned around to check my mirror, to see if he was really there. Only old vampires - master vampires could make my skin crawl and my stomach churn. If he was a master vamp, then he must of been really old to be out in the day time...

My shaggy orange hair swung around me, cropped short in the front and slightly longer in the back. My face was paler then my normal tan, and my eyes looked even brighter in their sockets - a bright shade of gray. I knew they were really red - no, they were crimson. I've been told my eyes were crimson, the exact color of blood. I couldn't see the color of blood, so I didn't know. I've never been able to see red -any red -, and I'm kind of thankful for that. My pink was pink, as long as it wasn't too red.

My red was gray. My red has been gray for a long time...

And there in the mirror sat Yosuki, a sweet smile on his face. I slowly turned back around to face him, my face and heart uneasy...

By the way, I don't own FruBa. This plot and original characters are mine, but not Fruba itself. Any twisted, enhanced psychotic tendency, morbid reactions, deep and well deserved brooding and/or beating ones self up that happen to appear in the story are mine and I stake full claims with some help and idea's. Please review, and any flame will be laughed if not ignored.

Ja!

SAL-Chan


	15. The Second Warning

"_Redemption works in odd ways..."_ He said in a low and gravely voice, and I could feel the smile in his tone. "_...For him it will not work at all. Don't you agree?_"

I held the urge to spit at him in fear of what he would do so I bit my lip instead, my head still bowed. My sword speared the ground in front of me, splitting the hard wood like it was butter. My hand gripped the black leather hilt so tightly I could feel the sharp points of the true sword biting into my fingers. I held back the twitch in my wings and the urge to swat my hair out of my face, stand up and say something foul to him, and run screaming from the room.

The last thought brought a smile to my face. He was still infecting me with his humor...

"_Look at me!_" My eyes snapped up to him immediately, all mirth – everything - falling out of them. I stilled myself and stared into his handsomely pale face and unseeing sky blue eyes. A sickly curve of a smile was on his face, his white hair falling straight around his eyes to box his face. It looped over his shoulders and cascaded onto the floor around his white robes. His face was still so young.

"_Don't you agree?_" he said again, his blind eyes sizing me up. Even though I knew he really couldn't see me, I knew in his mind he was studying me. He always is.

"I can't say," I mentioned lowly, and he scowled immediately. He was on his feet within a second and standing before my sword with confidence radiating off of him.

"_"You cant say'? You **can't** say?!_" He grabbed hold of my chin quickly and raised my head up, blind eyes gazing into mine. "_Don't you dare say that you have not passed judgment on that **thing**..._"

A sickly smile came over his face, and I fought the urge to struggle away from him. Instead I knelled at his feet, deathly still, and let his perfectly groomed fingernails create crescent shaped cuts on my face. I felt the blood fall off my face and I heard it hit the floor, but I didn't move to stop him.

"_Oh...I keep _forgetting" He tilted his head and leaned closer to me, close enough that I felt his cold breath on my face. "_You're the reason he's not rotting in hell for eternity, you traitor. Didn't I tell you to remind me every day that you were a traitor to your family and your-_"

"I am a traitor you - my God - and my family. I am to be punished accordingly," I cut him off, venom a low undertone in my voice. His face contorted, and he quickly brought his other hand up to hit me. I didn't prepare myself in the least - staring at his furious cloudy eyes. The moment before he brought his hand down he blinked, then his cruel smile enveloped his entire face. Forcefully, he shoved my face away, and I let the shove throw me backwards. He was standing over me now, and with a grunt of effort he pulled my sword out of the ground and pointed at me. I didn't move.

"_Tell me..._" he said calmly, the hand pointing the sword at me shaking. I kept my eyes on my sword. "_Tell me that you hated him. That you hate everything he is, and that you wish he was never born into this family, and that he would die this very instant._"

I stared up at his unseeing eyes that were gazing at the wall behind me blindly and kept my mouth shut. Slowly fury captured his face, and he brought the sword down inches away from my neck. My eyes had followed the sword, so when the next moment he was grabbing my face again surprised me a little. He was hanging over me, his pure white robes draping around my entire self - captivating me in the cold his body constantly gave off. Fury beat off him in waves that were almost visible, and still I kept my mouth shut.

"_Yukari..._" His voice was thin, his nails in my skin again. His face was so close to mine I could see the pupils of his eyes glimmer under their cloudy covers. "_Tell me right now that you hate him with all your being for what he did...tell me now, Yukari."_

"I can't."

"....**_You can't_**" he growled and threw my head away from him, sending me into the wall feet away. "_You ungrateful** bastard!** You're still loyal to him after what he did to everyone, to you-_"

"It doesn't matter what he did to me!" I shot back, pushing myself off the wall and pulling myself to my feet, standing over him. That anger in my voice made him stop and stay on his knees, his always unseeing eyes looking through me and making me hate him more that I did at that moment. "I don't care about what he did to me! Wake up to that fact, Hisoka, and stop living in the past and start living in the now. Things are changing as we speak, and sooner or later we are going to have to accept the fact that he is one of us!"

He stared up at me, that calmness on his face unnerving. My breath was coming in little pants, but my heartbeat was calm and unafraid. I was still resisting the urge to spit on him and run, but the run part was looking very good at the moment-

"_He may one day live in the Land of the Stars, Yukari, but understand this..._" his voice was hissed, and he stood with the grace of a cat himself - like he was pulled up on strings held by an invisible puppeteer. He was as tall as I was, meaning his cloudy eyes were exactly the same height as mine. The cold that breathed off of him made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "_He will never...**ever**...be one of us. Now get the hell out of my sight._"

I grabbed my sword off the floor and backed away from him, opening the door with a thought and shutting it with another. The last sight of him burned itself into my eyes. Fury was written on his face, and he was stepping forward with the uneasiness of a blind man. I instantly knew he didn't believe that I would really leave his side. The fool...

I stood facing his door for a full minute before I slid the crafted piece of metal into its cage. I took a deep breath and let it out through my nose.

"Redemption is coming, Yukari." I turned toward Kazuo's voice, instinctively drawing my sword and pointing it at the base of his throat. The ageless metal drew a drop of blood from the skin on his neck and the liquid slid down the groove in the blade. Moments later the blood soaked into the sword, and I felt it warm in my hands.

I didn't watch the blood, I watch Kazuo's eyes. The bright blue of his eyes offset his naturally lime green hair so much that at times it would make me smile when I though about it. His eyes healed no fear of my blade in them at all, no fear of me, not hatred of any kind. Then again, Kazuo was the only person I could say didn't truly fear anything. His eyes were remorseful, full of heart wrenching sorrow.

"You heard that?"

"I heard everything," he said simply, "and redemption is coming."

"I know," I said bitterly, lowering my blade. Kazuo still stood up straight, head held high, eyes empty. "What else do you want?"

"It's starting." He dropped his eyes to the ground and I finally noticed what he was holding. A golden hourglass sat comfortably in his hands, the silver sand constantly falling. Three fourths of the sand was now sitting at the bottom, and my face went grim.

"Very well. I wish you luck..." And with that I walked away from one of my better friends, knowing fully well that I was the key in my best friend's redemption and wishing so much that I wasn't the cause of it.

There was a thing I have started to learn. Wishes tend to not come true.

Strange Happening's

By SAL-Chan

Part Fifteen: The Second Warning

**_"The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple..."_**

**_ "If I'm just bad news, then you're a liar..."_**

**_Yuki_**

Prom was in a three and a half months. June 1st was the set date. I didn't feel anything when I thought about it - just a ringing numbness that reminds me I'm growing up. I'm an adult. I am 18 years old. I can take care of myself and legally I can go live on my own somewhere. In many countries I can vote now. I can get a car and drive anywhere I want.

The only thing that thoughts like that brought in was cold. Cold realization, cold bitterness, just.... cold. I don't want any of these things. I don't care if I don't have a car, I don't care if I don't vote, I don't care if I go off to collage.

All I really want is-

"Yuki?"

I blinked and looked up, rice falling from my chopsticks. Everyone at the table was staring at me, but Tohru had been the only person to lean toward me and say my name. I blinked at her.

"What?" I asked, and Shigure let his glasses slide down his nose. His cloudy chocolate eyes peered over the silver rims.

"You were glaring at the rice like it was attempting to choke you," the writer mentioned, picking up a piece of rice himself and eating it. "I didn't know you hated rice that much."

I stared at him, blinking. Shigure stared back, raising an eyebrow.

"What were you thinking about?" Tohru asked, eating a piece of strawberry - it was one of the first plants to recover from the winter's cold. They were the best strawberries I had ever grown in my life, and they were months ahead of schedule. Tohru and I had gone to look at the base, and they had already started to grow. It was such an oddity that I didn't even question it.

"My strawberries," I lied. No one else needed to know that I doubted my future away from Shigure's house. "They'ne sprouted early."

Tohru smile at me and sat back. I saw that knowledge sink into her eyes, and I'm pretty sure she came to the same conclusions I did. There was a reason for Tohru's strawberries sprouting so early, and that reason was the only one sitting with us this morning who had orange hair. I stared at her for a second with a smile on, and she smiled back.

"I think we missed something." Shigure said quietly, but loud enough to break my eye contact with Tohru and look. The older writer was leaning toward the side of the table across from him - more importantly to the person sitting there. Kyo gave his automatic response and shrugged, staring toward the paper doors.

"Does it look like I care?" He sounded distant, and when he turned to face us his eyes were darker then normal. A quick blink later he seamed to shake himself out of whatever daze he was in and sat up straight. Suddenly he was more solid, and the glowing light that seamed to animate his soul came back to his eyes. The ghost blinked a few more times, staring dumfounded at us. I'm not sure about the others, but I stared back with equal question in my eyes.

The cat flushed at the attention he got by being caught in an awkward situation. I felt myself smile slightly, and he flushed more and glared harder.

"Your...Ya gonna be late!" The neko stretched his arms out and pointed to the clock that said - indeed - we would be late if I aggravated him anymore this morning. Tohru made a squeak of surprise and I turned to see her stand up with a surprised look at the clock on her face.

"I'll clean up." Shigure offered, still eating his own white rice. Tohru blinked at him and shook her head.

"No, I couldn't let you-"

"-You'll be late! Now go, before you're both late. " The writer said it in a sing-song voice, waving his chopsticks goodheartedly at her. I had sudden flashback of another conversation almost exactly like this a while ago.

After a second thought, the writer added. "Anyway, Kyon will help me clean!"

"Like hell I will." The cat stood up and walked through the table and past Tohru, through the wall. My equilibrium was thrown off for a second then, then I righted myself by remembering. I stood up as well and dropped my chopsticks on the table and followed the cat out of the room through the door. I hear Tohru than Shigure and follow me out.

I needed my notes for Student Council. It would be the last meeting before the end of the year's tests, the prom, and finally graduation.

I was graduating high school and moving to Tokyo to study. For some reason the thought made my stomach churn and a cold feeling stick in my chest. I stepped through the door and into the hallway, reminded myself not to think about it, and that the trip to here from Tokyo U is only 30 minuets.

The cat was sitting on the stairs and he looked up when I started towards him. He grinned and pushed off the stairs and hovered in mid air, floating up a little more. I heard Tohru follow me out of the kitchen as I started for the stairs.

I needed to change my shirt to, just to be neat. This one was wrinkled, and the third button on a cuff had popped off the shirt a while ago. I reminded myself that I needed my tie today and not to forget it again.

"Don't forget your tie," Kyo said mockingly as I skipped the first step and advanced up the stairs. I ran the back of my hand along the wall Kyo's fingers hand marked unconsciously.

I glared up at the cat. "Shut up," I shot at him, and there was a creak as Tohru took to the first step. Kyo was standing at the top of the stairs, his back against his bedroom door. It was open, just a crack. I had made it up to three steps before the second floor landing when it happened.

Truthfully, I felt it before anything. It felt like a cold weight suddenly fell upon me, and made goose bumps gather on my arms. My sense of smell was instantly better, and my eyes shifted from the door to Kyo in seconds. Fear suddenly welled in my chest and my heartbeat kicked into high gear. I was suddenly choking on fear.

I saw Kyo's pupils slit as purple exploded in his irises, red veins extending from the center. His eyes widened and it looked almost as if his hair stood on its end.

I cannot truly explain what happened next. I'm not sure if fear was clogging my brain, or it was to hard for my brain to process.

I've said that Kyo looked as solid as anyone else before - and if I only implied that, I'm saying it now. Kyo looked alive and well, like Shigure or Tohru or I. But it was as if he was drained of all his life. His body suddenly looked dead and pale, everything about his presence died. His eyes stayed alight - furious and scared purple.

A hand - more solid then I'm comfortable thinking about - shot out of his chest and I only had a moment to realize the color and shape of it before I reacted. Instinctively I shifted back, and everything I have ever listened to in me said to run. But there wasn't just a hand. A elbow followed quickly - and entire arm and head and shoulders and torso reaching out from him. Pitiless deep lavender eyes stared dead at me through sunken sockets, the skin of the entire animal a sickly dark green. The hand wasn't so much a hand any more, but a claw. Muscles that shouldn't exist were stretched down the eerily long arm as it reached for me.

It seemed as if time totally stopped. Everything seemed to stop - the earth stopped moving, things stopped living - everything but me. And it. I moved through the still world quicker then I thought I could have. I took a step back, and I started to fall through still time. I had only a second to think _this isn't possible_.

That hand wrapped around my arm and pulled me back towards it - towards the top of the stairs. I was forced to follow - unable to move and think as fast as I should have, as I needed to. As the thing pulled me, the world seemed to change again. I knew I was now on the top floor of Shigure house, but everything was faded to gray. Fear was choking me as I was pulled forward - I couldn't understand but I understood perfectly at the same time.

The thing was standing where Kyo was moments ago, legs that seemed to once be human were long and built like a cat's- but elongated with giant toes and sickly green skin. Its chest was massive and built differently then any other organism I have ever seen in my life. The thing's head was huge compared to mine, and its ears were extended as far back as they could go. Its face was very cat-like, its nose pulled forward and its mouth framed differently somehow - like all the parts of the face didn't fit together normally. Its entire hand was wrapped around my arm and hand - from my elbow up, and it held me up in the air so I was face to face with it. Its eyes indented its head and looked too human to be on the thing's face.

Everything happened in seconds, even within the suddenly stilled time - and suddenly I was in its face. Pride and death clouded around the animal, and it held its head up high and undefeated. I knew what it was the moment I saw its hand.

I was face to face with the true and pure Cat of the zodiac. **This** was the thing that lived inside Kyo. **This** was the monster that hated the rat with such passion that it cursed its entire family for eternity. And suddenly, years from when all this truly happened, it held the Rat of the Zodiac - me- carefully in it's hand without a thought.

I didn't even have time to scream.

"I should kill you now..." It purred in a voice that wasn't truly a single voice, but many. They all cried out in pain and agony. And somehow I knew that it was the cry of his family members - something in my brain that I couldn't deny said that it killed his family members - and it also said that this thing was a he. **_This_** had been a person.

"You cannot kill me." It wasn't me speaking, but the voice came from me. I was truly far away from this action, watching this take place somehow -yet I was there, experiencing it at the same time. The monster snarled and squeezed my arm, dragging its face close to mine.

"This..." the screams said as I stared it in the eye. There was nothing human left in those eyes for me to think of it as a he. "...Is the Second Warning."

And suddenly I was in the air, falling backwards. The monster had thrown me - staring coldly with dead eyes - and this time something came out of it. It broke through the mass of death that the true Cat was and reached for me in turn.

I saw wild violet eyes were beneath wild orange hair, and his hand was grabbing for mine. The difference between the two Cats was striking in my strangely calm mind - the cat of now was trying to save me, while the cat of before was standing there just watching. Before all this...ghost nonsense happened, I know Kyo would have stood at the top of the stairs and watched me fall as well...

But something had happened. Something I didn't truly understand. Just as I knew that he would have stood there and watched before, I knew that he would have reached for me now. I guess you could call it friendship, but this was more loyalty then anything else.

His hand grabbed my arm in the same place as the monster had, and with a momentum that I hadn't expected I was tossed in the other direction. Time was relevant again, and colors of the world passed me by at incredible speeds. I crashed into Kyo's door and faintly heard it snap, but nothing truly registered. I watched the redhead fly down the stairs at catastrophic speeds - unable to move - unable to think - unable to speak - and I suddenly remember who had been climbing the stairs behind me.

Then suddenly, everything went black.

**_3rd Point of View_**

The book fell out of his hands, and slowly he turned his head towards the sky. Cold clutched his heart and a spasm wracked his body. A scream broke free from his throat and echoed for miles around. He fell with a rattle of chains around his neck and hit the ground with a thud on the deck of his cousin's quarters, his white and black hair spilling around him. Blood dribbled out of his ears as if his eardrums had popped. His suddenly still gray eyes were deep and dark, and it seemed for a moment that he stopped breathing...

The scream from her was harsh and insane. She was on her knees, both hands pressed to the side of her face. Her brown hair was flat and normally, but her gray-brown eyes were wide and crying tears of crimson. Their wild brown depths seamed to stretch on forever into her head, and she was oblivious as others rushed into the room to see what had happened...

It was a bone chilling feeling first, then pain like acid shot of his arm and ate at his eye. His scream of pain was choused as he fell to his knees, his doctor's coat fluttering to the ground behind him. His eyes were forest green being eaten by darkness, his pulps dilating. His body shook and he coughed and that forced flecks of blood from his convulsing body. No nurse or doctor in that office would be able to help him in this moment...

Far away from everyone else - in the mountains, he stared up at the sky and plainly fainted. The sadness that swamped him pulled a cry from his thin chest, and his body spasmed before he lay still on the ground in front of the bathhouse. The brown-orange hair that fanned out around him was tangled now, his traditional white kimono dirty and in disarray. Blood dripped from his nose in a constant line and fell on his hair beside him...

Heat rushed to his brain and his heart, making him rock forward and slam into the table. His head connected with the table hard with a snap and a scream tore from his thought, joining the choir of pain. The glasses that sat on his nose shattered and fell around him. Blood flowed freely from the cut on his head and mingled with his dark black hair, and behind one of his tightly closed chocolate eyes a capillary burst, tinting red veins and bringing them to the surface. A moment after the scream he howled pitifully and rocked his head in his hands on the table, then forced himself up and through the kitchen....

Her scream was shrill and joined by another female scream. The raven haired girl had fallen to the floor and ducked her head into her knees, and continued to scream after the little one was finished. The small female had screamed and flung her arms out behind herself, then fell over in a tightly knotted ball, crying crystal tears. Her honey hair was stuck to her face where the tears had soaked her skin, and her deep brown eyes were flicked with pain and amber. She reached out for the other girl and cried out 'Rin'...

The white haired man then dropped to his knees, sadness consuming his entire being. His scream was chorused in as well, and it left him feeling cold and alone. His golden eyes were wide, and his pupils were slit and staring off toward a corner of his dress shop - not really staring where the ceiling met the walls, but beyond that, as if trying to comprehend...

He fell to his hands and knees and screamed in agony at the ground, clenching his hands into the soft soil of his front yard. His uniform was dirtied instantly, and his honey eyes were wild. His hay blond hair sagged around his head and framed his downcast face, tears falling from his eyes. The rip in his cheek was open and raw, bleeding into his salty tears. His whole body shook with cold and his mind reeled, then the ground rushed up to meat him...

He fell to his side, scream ending in a sob. Pain and guilt swamped him and made his thin body quiver. His large deep brown eyes were wide and his mouth was open in a silent scream. His head hand connected with the door as he fell, so a cut was ripped open over his temple and was soaking into the white rug underneath him and clotting in his short brown hair. Cold shocked him into numbness, but unconsciousness never came...

He watched, as his most trusted guard fell to his knees and screamed along with the rest of them, his soft brown eyes shaking in pain and shared anguish. His golden brown hair fell softly around the guardian, and all he did was laugh.

He laughed at the pain they were feeling. He laughed at the coldness, at the grief and guilt, as the true curse wrapped around his and made them remember what they were and whom they truly belonged to. There was no escaping his curse, even if everything happened when he was alive. In order to break the curse, he needed to die. No one would kill their God. No one.

He laugh because he was happy they were all finally feeling what he had been feeling his entire life.

And no one would escape the curse today, and that made him happier then he had been in a while.

And it was so nice.

**_Kyosetsu_**

I stumbled to my knees and screamed with the rest of my family. I screamed for their pain, for their suffering, for their horror - I screamed for the cause of it. I screamed for me, for my life, for what I need to do...

Crimson tears fell from my eyes. Monsters don't cry, they bleed.

I screamed for the comfort that I wished I had. I screamed for someone to please - if there is a real God - help me! I screamed because I could do nothing else to get the attention of the heavens. I screamed for my pity. I screamed for my anger. I screamed for my fury. I screamed for my loneliness.

I missed my family and my friends. I missed the touch of another person, even accidental. I missed the ability for conversations with groups of people I loved. I missed the sound of laugher. I missed the taste of freshly cooked cake. I missed my mother's smile. I missed the touch of velvet. I missed the feeling you had after a nice hot bath. I missed playing my violin. I missed playing tag with my younger brother.

I once took all these thing for grated. I took them all as something I would always have.

I was wrong.

_ I want to die_.

I want to fade away. I want to disappear and stop existing.

For everyone who gets what they want, I have it taken away from me. I'm evil; I'm the opposite of luck.

And all my hopes rest in a boy who doesn't even have enough courage to tell the girl he loves that he does indeed love her. I'm trusting my existence to a teenager who technically can't drive by himself.

For him, I hope we succeed. For me, I hope we fail.

There is no hope within me at this moment. I see and feel no reason for it.

And for some reason, I think we'll both get what we want.

**(Chapter End)**

Ranting: Well, this took forever. I've been writing The Collector and planning out chapter for that...I almost forgot about my SH! Hugs story I love this story. It's my first story that people actually like! I'll never forget again.

So school's kicking my ass. I have a English project due next Thursday, and I'm going to the Zoo with Bio (b/c our teacher thinks we're 4).We get to miss a whole day of classes! YAY!!

Nothing else is new or exciting, other then I'm up to chapter 6 in The Collector, and Chapter 16 out of 23...I'm almost there! I finished this chapter within hours that i started today!! Go me!

Anyway...

Favorite Line: "You were glaring at the rice like it was attempting to choke you." -By Shigure!! I heart Shigure. In SH, I'm infecting Shigure with my wittiness! Me, gracious? Always!

Favorite Character: Yuki. Why? Because I'm twisted. Kuto's to Setsu and Kyo as well...Oh, and I liked my monster!

Qustion(s) of the chapter: (a) Last chapter, how do you think Tohru held Kyo's hand?

(b) What do you think truly happened on the stairs?

Date finished: November 8th, 2004. 10: 18 p.m.

Date Edited: January 3rd, 2005. 10: 41 p.m.

Moving along...

poplollyblues: Yay. Glad you liked it. Hope you come back and review again for this chapter as well. You got teary eyes?! Oh, yay! (Not that that's really a good thing) That's exactly what I was trying for. Sweet sadness...Accepts the bow and Eats the cookie happily

YumeTakato: I am truly sorry this took so long. But as I said, school is kicking my ass. the more you tell me to write faster, the more I probably will. - thanxs, and review again

Spellcasterz: crys out in happiness! You think it was worth missing sleep!?!? Thank you so much! I cant believe it took that long to read this...wow. all day? Geez...I'm so sorry I haven't updated in months. please forgive me. I'm a stupid another, I know Hits self again I am sorry. I'll try to get chapters out faster if I can (School is such a bitch). You were terry eyes too?! The I guess I'm good at being sadly sweet...thank you again so much. My many thanks, and please review again,.

HanaTenchiHimeko: Yay! And that's a very good question. Express your idea's on why. I wanna feed off of what you guy's think. Sok, Sok Misaki-San. You're doing a great job as Editor. It's not mandatory you review...but it's nice! TTUL!

HeeroTomoe: You know what, your right. I admit to reading a fic and not leaving a review, but I do read every chapter . I'm not depressed about it really...it's just that...well, like anybody, I love positive criticism and questions. It makes me feel like people are truly interested in what I right. For some reason that feeling is something I strive for. I don't know if one would call it selfish to want people to read you stuff and tell you about it, but that stuff helps me right. I keep coming up with new ideas and influences form reviews, and I think any writer loves that. So if I am reading a fic and I realizes something a miss in the plot, I ask about it. It shows you not just reading words but your walking along side the character in their world. Or maybe that's just me. I know I enjoy not living in reality. Reality bites, and fantasy rules. Sometimes I love getting lost, and I love telling another that I have gotten lost in their world. Threes a sense of satisfaction to that for anyone who rights. Then again, maybe it's just me and my selfish need to have people tell me I'm okay at what I do. And thank you so much for giving me a true title in this genera. It's rare when I call people story weaver themselves. To be call one just...makes me smile at my computer screen as I write - and that something I normally don't do. My friends have told me that I look very blank or centered when I right, and to break out of that is a very good feeling. Thank you again, and if your feeling not to lazy one day, try to review once more. Every review is counted and loved for their content. Thanks again.

Cat: lolo! thank you so much for reading my stuff. I noticed you name reviewing for Collector. I can't say thanks enough.

Well...no bonus this time. I'm tapped out. I finished two chapters within day's of echoer. Oh! That reminds me! If everyone could, go visit The collector on my Bio. Truthfully, I like my writing in TC more just because I liked writing it more. Please, for me, go check it out. And review!! Please? Oh, and take a short gander at another new ficlet I wrote called Blackouts and Sake. A new years fic!!

By the way, I don't own FruBa. This plot and original characters are mine, but not Fruba itself. Any twisted, enhanced psychotic tendency, morbid reactions, deep and well deserved brooding and/or beating ones self up that happen to appear in the story are mine and I stake full claims with some help and idea's. Please review, and any flame will be laughed if not ignored.

Ja!

SAL-Chan


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